A Story For The Ages: Part Two: Regaining Memories
by Armina Qi Saxton
Summary: Gino has returned to his father but still does not have his memories. Will the Anniversary Ball help him? *Takes place between Christmas '04 and Gaia Aniversary Ball '05* *Upload of old story*
1. Prologue: Found but Still Lost

A Story For The Ages

**Part Two:** _Regaining Memories_

**Written By:** _Armina Qi Saxton_

**Standard Disclaimer:** Don't own anything related to or similar to Gaia Online, this is a story made for fun.

Prologue: _Found But Still Lost_

The days after Christmas were uneventful to say the least, with the last songs of the season being sung and the last snow falling for the year. Most everything had calmed down for the time being, with only a small handful of drunken reports being made. There were few that did not look past the cold weather and melting snow to spend time with those in the family, instead staying indoors and staring blankly out into the open air. Still, it was peaceful with the snow blanketing all of Gaia and many enjoying the last few days of the old year before it lapsed into the new one.

Snowmen could be seen doting the land, snow angels drifting between each of these small wonders. Abandoned snowball fights lead into homes that held a promise of hot chocolate and marshmallows. Sleders found hills and slopes to slide down, merrily walking back up these same hills and slopes despite being cold and out of breath. Ice skaters lined around Bass'ken Lake and the Port of Gambino, all testing new ice-skates that were only days old and ready to be tried out. There were countless others that were just as happy walking down the unpaved roads between the cities and towns, watching as the last bit of Christmas festivities would be soon replaced by New Years fireworks and resolutions being forgotten.

There was one resolution that had not been forgotten, nor did it wait for the first of the years to begin. It held fast in a man that held onto his son's hand as they moved from the west-side entrance of Barton, moving quickly past the snowmen and snow angels that were fading into distant memories. Instead of marveling at another's creation, the man ignore them as much as he ignored his son's lagging. The boy stared after the snowmen, not even a hint of memory being remembered at snowmen or the thoughts of making a new one. He just went where the man went, moving as fast as his legs could.

"Where are we going?" He asked the man, plainly not knowing where he was being led to. It was as though he was being lead blind into a place he had no memory of. It was only when the man heard the question did he slow down, moving his head side to side to see how many people were around and how many would know who they were. It was futile to think that anyone wouldn't recognize the man or the boy, not even those that could spot them a mile away. They were known throughout Gaia and all of her Territories, simply as mere survivors if that much.

And they would recognize by more then sight alone, but by name. The boy, looking as though he was no more then the age of nine, held the name of Gino Gambino, a name thought dead since Halloween and perhaps longer then such. The man pulling the boy along, looking as though he did not want to be seen, answered to Johnny K. Gambino, someone who all had felt for during the days prior when he had finally found the son that he now would keep closer then before. A son without memories or the knowledge of who the man was that called himself his father, or anything that surrounded him.

"I don't know yet," Johnny said, looking around again. There were many Gaians out that day, more then he had expected to be out. Some did not take notice of him, others plainly looked at him and kept walking, a few whispers here and there about how a parent should take care of his son. The rest smiled warmly and walked on, almost as though they were smiling at the child rather then the father. "You shouldn't be out in the cold for this long. You've been out in the cold long enough."

"I'm fine. It's not that could out," Gino retorted. As soon as he said that, a shiver went through his body, a shiver that his father felt in his hands. Johnny stopped walking completely, turning to face his son as though he was seeing him for the first time. He held the boy's hands in both of his owns, frowning at the touch of them although his own hands were just as cold.

"Your hands are like ice, colder then they should be. I need to get you warmed up." He looked up towards the north, where the Reclamation Hub sat. It was a place that few into the Reclamation Facility, filtering out things that shouldn't get into the already tainted water that swirled inside the Facility. He had always been surprised that anything could survive in the murky depths, especially the fish that countless Gaian's claimed to have caught in it.

Pulling Gino with him once again, he made his way towards the Reclamation Hub, perhaps a better hiding spot then staying around the Facility and the surrounding areas. It wasn't a long walk, not even a five minute journey to where the pipes went underground for almost a full mile before resurfacing at the edge of the Facility to dump waste and other things inside of it. Johnny put Gino near the pipes, ordered him to crouch down low enough so others wouldn't see him, before he walked away towards the few trees around and had low enough branches for him to reach up and snap old and ice worn branches off of. He wasn't a tall man, nor was he strong enough to get the much thicker branches, but he got enough from the low-hanging branches and underneath the snow. this would give him enough to start a fire, a small one at the least, if he could manage it.

During the course of the last two months, Johnny had cursed himself for not having a lighter, if not at least a box of matches, with him on the occasion of making fires to keep warm. He had to rub several sticks together in order to light one the hard way, if he could get one started at all. It was harder, still, to make one with the branches of trees covered in snow and some with ice, the ground as cold and damp as it were. Even with the snow moved out of the way and branches arranged in a way that he could at least make a small fire, it was near impossible to light the sticks. It took a good ten minutes, maybe just a little bit longer, for the first flicker of a fire to start, before the rest of the rest of the branches caught and the flames slowly started to burn. It wasn't perfect, nor would it last long, but to would be enough for one person to get his hands warmed from the cold.

"It's not much, but it will do. It won't last long, so hurry up," Johnny said, beckoning his son to come over to the tiny flames. Gino stumbled to his feet, moving to the fire and kneeling down beside the branches that were sitting near him. "Just keep adding these to the fire when they start getting low. It will help."

"What about you? Shouldn't you get warm too?" Gino asked, looking up at his father with a hint of worry in this eyes. Johnny smiled as he stepped back, intent on keeping his son warm rather then himself.

"Don't worry about me. You just sit there for now and get yourself as warm as possible," He said with a shake of his head. The sound of snow crunching that came from towards the Reclamation Facility made him turn his head, his eyes falling upon a familiar stranger that he had not seen in several days. He grimaced at a passing thought, shuddering at what might be said between old friends and old memories. "I'll be right here."

Johnny walked only a few feet away from his son, turning his head slightly over his shoulder to make sure the boy stayed by the crackling fire and kept it alive as best as he could. Gino watched his father walk the few feet to where the stranger now stood, a father's and a son's eyes meeting before the son's gaze broke away and moved down to the fire in front of him. Johnny forced a smile upon his lips, turning his own gaze back in front of him and stood just a half of a foot away from the man that stared right past him and to the boy that sat silently as he broke a small twig in half.

Both of these men knew each other, even before one found himself out on the same land he was trying to survive on. They had known each other long before things time, when they were younger and had more then a few cares in the world. Everything seemed to have crumbled out from under one of them, the man moving his line of sight to the man that stood in front of him. He could see the strain in his friend's eyes, a strain that told him he knew that everything was not okay and that the last several days events had put more of a toll on his mind then what he was letting on.

"You need to find him a home to stay in," Edmund said, nodding towards Gino. "He can't be wandering the streets like this, not when there is so much that can be done about it. It's bad enough you do it.

"And where do you suggest I take him? To the orphanage?" Johnny gestured towards Durem, where there were more then a few places that he would rather not even think about. "I'll never see him again if I take him there. I've heard more then a few tales."

"At least he'd be warm and have something to eat. Look at him. He's starving," Edmund pressed, nodding again towards Gino. The other didn't have to look at his son to know that it was the truth, even though Gino had always been small for his age. Even with food crammed down his throat, the weight never seemed to stay on for more then a day or two. Now, with little to no food available for hours, he seemed to be smaller then he remembered him being.

"Edmund, I know that," Johnny said, turning around to watch his son. Gino gingerly placed half of a branch upon the dieing fire, careful not to put out the last of the flames. He knew he was being watched, but kept his head down and hands above the fire that could only warm so much of his exposed skin. "I'm doing the best that I can with little I have, but I am not going to let him out of my sight again. It nearly killed me when I couldn't find him."

"I know it did," Edmund said, placing a hand upon his friend's shoulder. "A lot of people in Gaia sympathize with you, now that they see you trying everything you can to keep Gino warm and far from hungry. But there is only so much that can be done to keep him happy."

"I know there is, but I am not going to abandon him again," He said in a soft voice and a trying smile as Edmund lowered his hand. "I did it so many times before, and I am going to stay with him this time. I won't leave him. Not now. Not without his memories." He turned towards Edmund with a determined look on his face. "He needs me, more then ever. How can I let him down again?"

"Giving him a warm bed and a hot meal isn't letting him down. It's saving his life. I know you don't want to lose him again, but there isn't any other option you have, other then to let him live out in the cold." Edmund's face changed slightly, becoming less serious and more relaxed. "At least try to find him some place to stay."

Johnny didn't respond for a minute, knowing the impact of putting his son into a warm home, even if it were only for a few hours. It would give Gino a place to stay, to rest, to regain the little strength that he had in himself. Staying out in the cold drained him of all that he had, his pale face looking more ghostly then the snow beneath his knees. What was left was all that he could muster to at least stay awake enough to get to the next meal or to the place where father and son would spend the night. It wasn't the best life to live, but at least it was something.

"I'll think about him going somewhere, even if it is only for a night. I can't promise anything, okay?" Johnny said with a sigh, his hands moving along his arms to keep the cold away from them.

"As long as he gets more then a small fire," Edmund said," Johnny, take care of him, because you've been given a second chance with your son. You may not deserve it, but it is a second chance.

He nodded, as Edmund turned and walked back towards the Reclamation Facility. He knew that this was a second chance to mend things with Gino, to make everything that was wrong before right, and to try to have a lasting relationship with a boy that he thought was dead. At least it was something, to have a second chance on life, a second chance on everything that he had thought was lost. It was something, he knew, and he wasn't going to mess it up this time. Not now, when he had everything back that he could ever want in life.

He was, even without all the gold and fame he once had only months prior, the richest man in Gaia.

****

Everything was changed now, forces from above and below working silently together towards one goal. The wheels of fate had already been put into motion, long before anyone realized that they were caught inside a trap they couldn't get out of. These same twists of endless sunlight and moonlight, the ones that held Gaia together, the same ones that had given so much, would soon break the land apart. It would be split into three groups, two opposing each other while the third remained neutral throughout the short-lived war.

The first flames of battles wouldn't be seen yet, not for several months at the most or even know that the moments leading up to them would be some of the most memorable. Still, there were those that could feel the tenseness in the air, the crackling in the wind, the darkened mists from the coast. Not many could sense the approaching danger, not until it landed right upon them, but there were those that knew something was bound to happen soon. They could tell by the same forces that held Gaia and who would ultimately tear it apart.

Perhaps that was why those that had more then an inkling were looking over their shoulders, watching the dancing shadows play tricks on their minds. They saw what others could not see, the things that they had been told were only figments of their imaginations. It was the shadows upon shadows, as though there was more to the dark nights then what they saw out of the corners of their eyes. Perhaps that was why they were more prepared for the events that would unfold in front of Gaia and her inhabitants, much sooner then they expected.

Sooner then they knew of.

****

The sun had barely started to turn into the mid-day and already Gino Gambino was hungry. He had eaten only an hour before, the small meal consisting of three pieces of stale bread, a green apple, and a handful of snow to wash the food down with. It was more then what the man ate, which was only a single piece of the same bread the boy had eaten. He had pushed all but that one piece of stolen food into his hands and told him to eat it without word. It wasn't much, he had said, so it would have to do for the time being. There wouldn't be much of it until he got a chance to find more somewhere else, even if he had to steal it again.

Now the same man, who had so willingly risked being thrown into jail for taking one of life's necessities for his own son, sat propped up against a tree, his head leaning against the trunk and his eyes closed. He slept as though he had not slept in days and most likely hadn't; with a child that had not one memory from his past, it was hard to stay asleep for long. The same child that stood several feet away, watching the man sleep with little interest. He wanted to turn around and walk to the city, to where there were more people to let himself be lost in and be far away as possible from the man. But the longer he stood there, the harder it was to walk away from him.

Gino watched him sleep soundly, confident that he could make a getaway now and wouldn't even be missed for at least an hour, maybe more if possible. If he were to leave, the thoughts of what this man would do to himself would only make him feel sick to his stomach. There was something about this man that made him stay rather then leave for parts unknown in this land, something that kept him rooted to where he was. Perhaps a faint memory that he didn't remember, or a feeling that told him that this man was truly who he said he was, or even the fact that the poor soul had lost his true son years ago and was living a feverish fantasy through the boy. Whatever it was, he stayed there, waiting for more then just a sign of remembrance.

He knelt down, still watching the man intently as though he was watching for a momentary lapse in the sleep. The boy couldn't help but see a slight resemblance in the two of them, a little faint but still there. The deep purple eyes that stared out into a world that was waiting so desperately for another mistake, the blond hair that gently moved in the wind that brought the cold air, and the small, unnoticeable features on the face that showed a smile that had to be forced. Those same things that were on the man, were on the boy; a striking resemblance that many could see and put to memory but the boy could not. It was his tainted memory that he couldn't remember this man, he guessed, and no matter how much he tried, he never found anything in his damaged mind to put these resemblances to any recent memories that were before Christmas.

But he had to smile at the new memories that were forming in his mind, the ones that he didn't need to try and think about without the headaches. The man obviously was trying to be a father to him, a father that he either didn't remember or a man that was trying to make up for a loss that he had suffered. It was hard, trying to do what he was doing with the little things that he had available to him without asking for anyone's help but he was doing it as best as he knew how. Gino saw him struggle to keep himself together when he had this very same child to look after and to keep warm as best as he could. It was enough for now, perhaps, but eventually it wouldn't be. Things would have to change, for better or for worse.

Gino stood up, a shiver going over his body as he rubbed his hands along his arms. A cold wind went past him, his frail body already beyond freezing. There was no way he could attempt to make a fire by himself nor was there any place he could go to get his hands warmed that he wouldn't have to travel several miles to do so. The closest thing was the man, who didn't seem to stir from his sleep even with the coldness around him. He hated to wake him up just to get himself warmed, but it was the only thing he could do to stop shivering. He walked quietly over to the man, standing in front of him for a moment, watching, waiting, listening to the man softly inhale and exhale with every breath that he took.

He sat down next to the man, careful not to wake him yet moved so that he could instantly feel the warmth from him. He sat there for a moment, without word, just watching him sleep, wishing that his own was just as serene as the man's. It was only when Gino got close to him, even from a slightly farther distance then he was now, did he feel safe from the harshness of the wild world. It was in this same safety that he found a certain comfort in knowing that there was someone out there that cared for him, despite all memories lost. It was something, at least, to know this.

Gino leaned his head against the man's arm, moving slightly closer to him fro the warmth. He stirred at the touch of the boy's arm wrapping itself around his own, his eyes fluttering open at the subtle movements next to him. He looked down to see his son huddling against him from the cold, face nearly buried in his sleeve. Smiling down at him, the man ran his free hand through the soft hair that laid messy on his arm. Gino's head snapped back, his eyes going wide when he realized that his few, slight movements had caused the man to wake.

"I'm sorry," He stammered, shrinking back as though he was waiting for something to be said to him. There were no harsh words, no slap on the wrists for something done wrong, no insults thrown down at him. Instead, the soft smile on the man's lips only softened more, his eyes looking happy at the mere fact that the boy was this close to him.

"Lay your head back down. It's okay," the man said gently, his voice firm but caring as he placed his head arm around the boy's shoulders. Laying his head upon the man's chest, Gino moved closer to him and closed his eyes. It felt good to have another's touch upon him, a shield to protect him from the climate of the world, a safeguard from those that might harm him.

"Where are we going to sleep tonight?" Gino asked. It was an innocent question, one that he wondered himself since they had left the streets of Barton that morning. They had been lucky that last few nights, having found places to hide in until the day broke and they could wander out without being noticed. They wouldn't' be lucky like that again, not with so many people now watching them from a distance; if they could find a roof over their heads in the city, or even further away, then they would be fine.

"I don't know, son. I'll find us a place to go tonight, so don't you worry about it," He said quietly, resting his cheek upon the boy's head. His voice lacked the firmness it had before, now holding an edge of despair. He still held that smile, keeping his face calm even though his voice said otherwise. If he couldn't find a place to hide from the elements, and from prying eyes, then they would have to brace the coldness together, on the edge of the civilization.

"Can I ask you something else?" Gino inquired, opening his eyes.

"What is it?"

"Why can't I remember anything? Why did I lose my memory?" He asked. Those questions made the man lift his head up, his smile fading and a faraway look crossed his face. There was no straight answer he could give his son, not when he didn't even know himself. It was always thought that the first sings of memory trouble stemmed from the end of the Olympics, but after the mansion had been blown up, and Gino lost in the aftermath, it crossed his mind that this had caused more then the memory loss. Perhaps the trauma from the explosion had caused everything to fall into place, even if it wasn't the root of the problem.

"It is a mistake that went out of control. Our home was destroyed by this mistake and that's why you don't have any memories. That's why we are forced to live like this." The man's voice died with those words, the sound of his heart pounding echoed in Gino's ear. He was scared, that much he could tell by the beating of his heart and the sound of his voice. What he was scared of, he didn't know. Whatever it was, it had long since been a part of a troubled past that he couldn't remember.

"Will I get my memories back?" The boy wondered, more to himself then to the man. He didn't expect an answer, or for the man to even acknowledge that he had said something.

"I hope so," He answered, his voice barely above a whisper. It was a wish that he wanted more then anything to come true, a wish that sat just beyond his reach. It was as though there was a string that kept pulling it further and further away, until it was just a speck of dust on the horizon. One day, he knew, it would come true and old memories would resurface with the new ones.

But that day wouldn't be any time soon.

**Until Next Time**


	2. Chapter 1: Shadows of the Past

A Story For The Ages

**Part Two:** _Regaining Memories_

**Written By:** _Armina Qi Saxton_

**Standard Disclaimer:** _See Prologue_

Chapter One: _Shadows Of The Past_

The last several days had been spent shifting through stacks of books, piles of things that had no more used to those that had sorted through them in a hurried manners, and searching room after room that held nothing but emptiness. It wasn't a frantic search, but it was one that had more tantrums and tears then the last few years combined. Still, they pursued the tiresome bother, only to find nothing there and nothing to add to their already mounting fortunes. If only they could find what else they were looking for, then they would not have to continue to stare endlessly at floor plans to their mansion.

Marie stood in the center of one of the spires that touched the outer wall of the city, looking around at the mess that sat on the floor. Misplaced books laid across one wall, pictures torn and frayed from more then just time against another, broken glass laying upon the carpeted floor, and more then just dust laying upon the few things that hadn't been overturned in a mad rush to find things. It was a sight that made her cringe even when she glanced inside a she walked past. Their father would have been a bit more then shocked to see how the mansion looked now, if he were still alive.

The search for the last part of their inheritance had been only a small part of the reason for the dismay of the mansion; the rest was more memory-based then an actual search. Both sisters had things they did not wish to remember about the place they had left ten years before, when all hell had broken loose. Anna especially had nightmares about things Marie never knew of until she first started to console her sister through these same nightmares. Then the haunted past had come alive, with things that should have never happened and old wounds breaking open.

There was nothing in this home for Marie, nothing that held her desire to stay there. The truth untold, she had been quite content in living in the country side along the borders of Gaia and a neighboring land, long after she had gotten used to doing her own work. Even with the deep distaste for having to work for her own food and lodging after being used to the grand lifestyle of the rich, she still loved waking up to a cool breeze and a fire every morning. Anna, on the other hand, hated it with a passion; perhaps that was why she was so eager to come back into the bustling life of Gaia. To escape the confines of a life that she had looked down upon for so long.

Footsteps brought Marie out of her daydreams, as she looked over towards the doorway. She knew who those footsteps belonged to, the only other person inside the mansion that day. It was New Years Day after all and the sisters wanted no one else inside the mansion until the following day. At least it gave the hired help a day off and allowed the sisters to spend searching the mansion once again as they wished without anyone poking their noses into business that did not concern them.

"Where is the damned safe at?" Marie growled, placing her hands upon her hips as soon as her sister appeared at the doorway. She stared at her sister, as though she had the answer to her question. they both wanted the same answer, despite not knowing where to turn now or where to look.

"Don't look at me like that," Anna said, kicking a broken vase out of her path as soon she he walked into the room. It was a mess, that was for sure, and they weren't about to clean it up themselves. "We've both searched this mansion more times then I can count. Even Edmund has searched and he has more skills in searching then we do combined."

"I am tempted to find Gambino and make him talk. He most likely knows where it is," Marie said with an even lower growl then she had before. There was a scowl on a face, one that only seemed to twist her features into a hideous expression rather then make her seem like she hated to say a single name.

"Marie, no. We are not running off to him like wounded puppies. That is the last thing I want to do," Her sister said with a glare geared towards her. She began studying her nails, looking bored at the thought of searching the mansion once again, as though the anger at a mentioned name was just a passing thought. "Besides, it will be admitting defeat on our part if we go to him for help. I don't want to give him that satisfaction."

"Better to admit defeat then to have to keep searching on our own," The other replied, walking to the window of the spire the room was in. She looked down upon the city of Durem, crossing her arms over her chest. "How many more times do we have to search and not find anything?"

"As many times as it takes," Anna answered, walking to her sister's side and leaning her back against the window pane. She casually looked down at the streets below, a look of disgust coming upon her normally pretty features. "Look at them. Walking around as they have nothing else better to do with their time. It makes me sick that they have turned their backs upon us."

Marie didn't respond at first, moving her head up from those that walked along the streets to the far horizon that spanned towards the island. She could barely make out the features that defined the coast that sat well beyond the walls of Durem, despite being in one of the two spires that overlooked the city. There were nights that she missed walking along the coast of Barton, just staring off towards the island and wondering if she would ever be as carefree as those that lived upon the sandy beaches. Those were the days prior to their eldest sister's death, before Anna became more obsessed then her sister with placing the blame upon the only person that was close enough to their sister. They were past memories, memories that Marie never bothered to dwell on.

"I doubt they remember. Many of them weren't here when we left," Marie said softly after several minutes of silence. "If they were, they were children then, just barely out of the playpen. Children have ways to make themselves forget things that they do not like."

Anna stared at her sister for a moment, trying to decipher the longing look that had appeared on her face and the eyes that stared off into the distance. She then frowned at a passing thought, knowing that there was something more to her words then she was letting on. Then it hit her, the deeper meaning behind the spoken words. Her face lit up, a thoughtful looking coming upon her face and a smile that only indicated that there was something that was making the wheels in her mind spin.

"Not all children forget," Anna said, her smile broadening. "I think I have a way to find the safe that has the rest of our inheritance in it."

"Wouldn't father have left everything here or at the bank?"

"He would have left most everything here for us to find on our own. There are only two places that I can think of that are the hardest to get into and we've already tried the bank." Anna put an arm around her sisters shoulders, turning her away from the window as she started to lead her towards the doorway of the room. "Where else do you think he would have put something?"

Marie looked down at the ground as she was lead towards the doorway, a thoughtful look coming upon her face. She tried tot think of a place, other then their own mansion and the bank, that their father would have put something for them. It didn't take her long for a complete understanding to come upon her face, her eyes lighting up and a soft smile coming upon her lips. If there was one place that was just as hard to get into then the bank, then all they had to do was get past the one person that wouldn't let his guard down.

"I think I understand now." She smiled at her sister, walking first out of the room before Anna followed suit. "Today?"

"Yes, today," Anna said with a nod. "Lets go. Get the book."

As the sisters left the spire's room, they knew that they were about to embark on one of the impossible things that no one else had done before. Whether or not they could bypass one of Gaia's hardest to get inside places wasn't the question; they had the means to get inside, and the beauty to do more then spend the money they still kept in their safes, but they needed more then that to bypass this place.

****

The day seemed to be dragging along, as though time itself had slowed down. Perhaps it was because many people had slept in on the first of the year and were just waking when they should have been up hours before. Or perhaps it was the coldness of the day, the bitter wind in which came from the north that gave the extra chill in the air. Whatever it was, few people dared to step outside their warm homes, instead intent on being bundled up in front of the fire with a mug of hot chocolate in one hand and a book in the other.

The slowness of the day was fine for Leon, who stood behind the counter of the Guild Office, quietly flipping through the oversized book that housed every known guild that had been created. The slow period between angry Gaians that braved the cold, who had been booted out of a guild, to the Guild Captains who had paid dues on their guilds, gave him more then enough time to catch up on things the had been neglecting to do for months. There was little chance that he would be stepping out into the freezing coldness anytime soon, happy enough that he had a lapse of time when he wasn't being bothered by someone that he did not really want to see.

The quietness of the day would soon change, despite the perfect beginning to it. The guild office door opened with a clang, Leon looking up when he heard it hit the wall next to it, half expecting to see another angry Gaian walk in, asking about a guild or two that they had been banned from. A frown came upon his lips when he saw who had entered, his whole body shifting into a slight defensive position. Two women walked in further, their eyes falling upon him once they had looked around the entrance-way and lips curled up into sneers as soon as they did. He slammed the book he had been looking through closed, narrowing his eyes at them as they narrowed their back at him. Sitting the book down upon the counter from the slightly raised position he had it in, he walked around it and stood just a few inches from where it stood. The two women stopped not far from where they had been, one holding a tattered book in one hand while the other kept her arms at her sides.

"What do you two want?" He asked coldly, wishing more then anything to kick them both out onto the curb and lock the door behind them.

"We just want to know if our father left anything around here that's of value, that's all," Anna Von Helson said, a poisoned sweet smile replacing the sneer. "This is the next best place to look, you know."

"Like a safe with things that he may have left behind for us," Marie Von Helson said just after her sister finished talking. "Family heirlooms, perhaps."

"Sorry, I don't have anything here of the type of things you are looking for." He spread his arms out as far as his armor allowed him to, indicating the space they were standing in. "There isn't anything here but the registered guilds and the names of every person in Gaia, dead and living. You can look for yourselves in the areas that are open to the public, but I doubt you'd find anything. You are more likely to find it in the bank then here. Sorry you wasted a trip."

"Look, we know something is here. You can not have a safe somewhere in here that we don't know of." Marie leaned forwards, her eyes narrowing more. "We own this place, like it or not."

"Actually, Gambino still does, despite everything," Leon put in with a nod. That gave him two identical glares and a satisfaction that they both were looking murderous at the mere mention of the word 'Gambino'.

"Besides, we already checked the bank and our home," Anna said boredly, although there was a hint of anger in her voice. "There is nothing there at we haven't searched dozens of times. We are looking for any remaining safes, small or large."

"I have safes here, yes. Everyone knows that, but they are reserves for the few guilds that use them. I couldn't give you access to those even if you tried to force me to open them." He crossed his arms over his chest, staring directly at the two for them. He knew they were up to something and knew that they would use anything to get him to talk about something they wanted to know. It wouldn't work on him; he had a certain skill with people that wanted to know things and couldn't get the knowledge out of him, Ruby being the only exception to it. "Anything else they are used for isn't my concern nor do I have any knowledge of what is inside them or who used them. I just make sure that they are kept as safe as possible. If he left anything for either one of you, you would have found it already."

At that point, both sisters had deepened their murderous glares and were looking like they were about to do more then just stare him down. He wasn't the least bit afraid of them, nor did he ever have the piece of mind that either one could do to him. Their father had already ordered the worst that anyone could have possibly done to him and there was nothing else that they could do that could remotely come close.

"Listen to me, you insignificant fly," Anna said, striding the few feet to Leon and staring up at him with a cold, determined look on her face. She then pointed to herself, then to Marie. "Our father had more valuable things then what we have in the mansion and in the bank, more then what your pathetic life is worth, so don't tell us that there isn't anything you don't have here that is his."

"Ladies, if I had anything that belonged to Vladimir Von Helson, do you honestly think I would have kept it within my reach?" He asked, staring Anna down. She stared right back at him, with a fierceness in her eyes that could rival even Rina's. "What you are missing that was his is not my concern nor do I give a damn that you ware missing whatever you are looking for. Honestly, I would rather not think about him or either one of you. Now, if you would so kindly excuse me, I have better things to do with my time then to argue with either one of you."

He looked at Anna, then gave the same look to Marie, uncrossing his arms as he opened the book he had been reading before the sisters had come inside the office. Anna looked at him with a glare, horrified that she had been talked to that way and her simple request had been ignored. She frowned at him, turning around and walking to her sister's side with a look that only see could understand. She nodded, walking to the counter and stood in front of it.

"We aren't finished with you quite yet," Marie said, leaning upon the counter. "See, we have a little bit of a problem here. You have something we want and we have something that you want."

"And what exactly do you have that I want?" He asked, looking up from the book as he raised an eyebrow.

"I think you might be interested in this," Marie answered, throwing down the tattered book onto the one Leon had been looking through. He looked down at it as Marie turned around and started for the door. "Read through it. It might be of interest to you."

"You know where to find us if you decide to help us look for what we want," Anna added as Marie pushed the door to the office open, Anna following after her a moment later. Leon didn't look up from the book for the next several moments, staring down at the leather bound book as though it had hypnotized him. Whatever the sisters had wanted form him, they wouldn't get it, not because he had what they wanted but because he didn't care. They were just a faint memory to him, a memory best left forgotten.

The door of the guild office opened once again, Leon not even bothering to look up from the book to see who it was. If it was the sisters, then he would ignore them as he had ignored their presences in the last month. They would soon be on their way back tot he mansion, pestering others along the way. If it was one of the guild captains to change something in the ranks of their guild, then they would have to wait a moment or two before the spell of the book let him out of it's grasp. Even when the soft footsteps came to a halt in front of the counter did he not look up, the book holding his attention more then who was standing in front of him.

"Leon? What is it?" A female voice asked quietly. Leon looked up at that same moment, his eyes falling upon the form of Meredith. It was a surprise to see her standing there he had not seen her since Christmas, when she had been helping him and Rina shop along the island. He smiled forcibly at her, a relief washing over him to know that she was not one of the sisters.

"Didn't know that was you. Nothing's wrong here." He hook his head, forcing the past memories away. "What brings you down from the island?"

"The copies of the items that your parents left behind for you and Rina once both of you were of age. Rina will be turning eighteen shortly, so it's best to get them from the bank soon," Meredith answered, handing him a small manila folder. He stared at the folder, a confused looking coming upon his face. "You said you wanted to see the list a couple of weeks ago, remember?"

"Oh, yes. I forgot about that," Leon said, the confused look leaving and another, more faraway one replacing it. He took the folder, his smile fading slightly. "I haven't had the time to come to the island to get them since I asked. Thanks."

"Nothing's wrong, you say. There is. I know," She said, looking over his face several times. There was something about the way that his eyes wouldn't meet hers, the way that he stood, and the way that he was staring down at the old book that told her he had more on his mind then the start of the new year. "Don't say there isn't. I can tell."

"How?" He asked, looking at her strangely.

"I saw them leave just a few moments ago, when I entered Barton. That's how I know something is wrong," She said, gesturing towards the doorway. Leon smiled halfheartedly, picking up the book that Marie had given him with his free hand.

"This is what they left me when they came in," He said, setting it back down on the counter. "I haven't opened it yet, so I don't know what it is."

"I don't have to ask what they want, I already know," Meredith said, chuckling. Leon opened his mouth to speak, but she held up a hand to stop him. "Yes, they already came to the bank if they haven't told you already, looking for anything their father left behind. More then once since Christmas, I should say. Quite frankly, I don't remember anything that the late Count gave to the last person who ran the bank before me. There would have at least been something in the records from the last ten to fifteen years. I couldn't tell them otherwise, so they left."

"And they don't believe you," Leon said with a nod, before looking down at the folder then at the book. "I don't know what is in that book, or why they gave me it. I don't care. It's going in the stacks of books I have laying around here, if I don't give it to Rina."

"She might not understand what it is about, Leon. You don't know what the sisters have put in there, or what it even is." Meredith nodded to the book quickly. "I suggest you read it first before you go handing it to anyone else. You never know what kind of horrid things they have in there."

"You know what's inside, don't you?" He asked with a stare. It was surprising on how much the women in Gaia knew things before anyone else.

"No I don't, but it's your duty to keep that girl as happy as possible. She doesn't need to be looking at things she doesn't need to remember." Meredith smiled, then started to back up towards the doorway. "Look through the folder and give me a set date on when you and Rina want to take everything out of your parent's vaults. It's not much, but you'd be surprised at what you'd find."

"I'm sure," Leon said, hardly noticing that Meredith had even walked out of the Guild Office or how long she stood there, watching him from the entrance before heading back towards the island. He was so engrossed in the two items in front of him, that if the roof had come crashing down at that moment, he wouldn't have even noticed. Everything else didn't matter to him, just the things that were supposed to be dead and now were dancing in front of him, alive with life.

The shadows of the past were about to be unleashed, that much he knew. When, was another guess completely.

****

The air around them froze as though everything had become much colder then they remembered when they had first left, their breath rising up to meet the wind that took it away from them. Neither one remembered the trek to Barton being this cold nor this hard to move from the city to the town before, or even back again. It was as though there was something keeping them from reaching the confines of the city and the warmth of their home. Despite wanting to turn back and find shelter in Barton, they kept moving forwards, ignoring the coldness around them.

It was not the wind that held the sisters back, as it below enough to give the extra chill in the early January coldness a boost. It was not the leftover snow that drifted around their ankles, as it was not deep enough for them to have any trouble moving through the worn path. No, it was something other then the outside weather that made their journey home longer to complete then the journey to Barton. It was a force that made their bodies move slower then before and everything around them as though they had not moved at all.

Anna walked only a few feet in front of Marie, her head bowed down and hands wrapped around her upper arms. Marie simply kept her long coat wrapped around her tightly, keeping her gaze straight forward. Only a few times did she move her eyes from the path ahead, to give a half-hearted glare at the few others that dared to be on the road on this day. The few that took notice of this glare ignored it completely as though they had not been looked at all, or they simply glared back just as strong.

And it was during one of these glares that her eyes caught something moving from the other side of the Reclamation Facility as she started to walk past. Marie stopped walking along the dusty path, her head turning towards the southern direction of the same Facility in which she saw that movement. She knew something, or someone, was there in the nearly barren land that sat around them, something that moved towards the direction where it was rumored to be more then just a bit haunted. It was her mind, she told herself, that was playing tricks on her. Just something that the wind blew that caught her attention. Whatever it was, it didn't seem any more human then she saw and it had definitely caught her attention.

"Marie?" Anna asked, stopping as well as she turned around to stare at her sister. Marie blinked, shaking her head as she looked up and met her sister's gaze.

"Go on ahead. I'll catch up later," She called, nearly having to shout over a gust of wind that came between the two. The slight movement that she had seen out of the corner of her eye, the thing that was most likely long since gone, held more then her attention but also her curiosity.

"What is it? What do you see?" Anna asked, now looking interested in what was out there then she had only a few second before.

"It's nothing," Marie said with a shake of her head. "I just want to take a walk. Alone. To clear my head. Maybe then I could remember things better."

"If you say so. You'll be the one to catch a cold," Anna answered with a shrug, turning around and walking the rest of the way to Durem without even a look over her shoulder. Marie stood where she was, waiting for Anna to be far enough away so she wouldn't see where she was going before heading south. there was something down past the Reclamation Facility that caught her eye, something that didn't seem natural. Then again, there was things in the Gaian Territories that couldn't be explained, even by the Council.

Now with the wind that she pushed herself against, and the terrain of the area, she found herself out of breath after ten minutes of walking from the Reclamation Facility and away from her original path. She found herself in a sparsely vegetated place, where the closest tree was perhaps not far from where the Facility stood. It was only when she looked up from holding her head down from the wind did she see the apparition that she had seen out of the corner of her eye. It was a young boy, crouching down beside a medium-sized boulder, his deep purple eyes looking up at her with a blank glaze over them. It was odd to see a boy his age kneeling down beside a rock, in the weather that this day held, and alone.

She walked up to him, standing not but a few feet away, her eyes moving just beyond him where a run down, one-roomed shack sat. It had one window that faced her and the boy, the door looking as though it had been recently patched up, and a brick chimney quietly looking up at the heavens from the roof. Marie shuddered at the thought of the boy having to stay in such a place, thinking only of what she could do to help him that would make her look good in any Gaian's eyes. She thought better of it, perhaps only to ask the boy a question or two before returning to her home where she could get warmed up.

"Hello there," Marie said with a false cheeriness in her voice that she hoped the boy didn't see through. "You shouldn't be out in this weather."

"Who are you?" He asked with the same blank stare. She stared right back at him, unable to hide the mild surprise from her face. The boy looked no older then nine or ten, even when he stood up, but there was something about him that seemed familiar. It was the eyes, the slight facial features, the hair that gave it away. Where she had seen him before, she did not know but would soon find out.

"I'm Marie. And you are?" She asked as sweetly as she could as the boy continued to look at her, his eyes darting over her shoulder for a moment before returning her gaze.

"I'm Gino," He said quietly. There was silence between them, Marie turning the name over and over again in her mind. That name, the name she knew as familiar but still couldn't place it, that echoed a distant past. Other names that somehow couldn't place the child with anyone else that she knew. "At least, that's what he calls me."

Marie's body stiffened when the boy pointed behind her, a feeling that the short-lived conversation had been watched and heard by someone else. She slowly turned around as the boy lowered his arm, expecting a man of the same build as the boy was and the same innocent expression upon his face, but found that assumption to be wrong. Instead, she found herself to be staring up at a face that resembled the boy's, but older and perhaps wiser then he was, with time wearing it down. A man that was nearly three times as big as the boy and had the aura of intimidation about him. A man that she hadn't even expected to see standing there, the last person that would have been so close to her without even attempting to kill her.

Johnny K. Gambino was the one that had stood behind her, glaring down at her as though she was scum that was waiting to be scrapped off of his shoes. His jaw was clenched firmly, his eyes set down upon her with a burning rage inside them, his body ridged with anger, and his hands balled into fists. Marie took a few steps back, a certain fear setting into her. Even though she had known this man from the day that he had first set foot on Gaian soil, back when he did not have the slightest bit of the same aura floating around him, she still felt a twinge of fear go through her. She knew that he could just as easily break her in half without even trying, just from his sheer size alone.

"Johnny Gambino," Marie said one she found her voice to spit his name out. That was met with the same glare that he held on his face, the effects of his intimidation beginning to wear off on her.

"Marie Von Helson. What a surprise," Johnny said, with a forced half smile. "I wouldn't have expected you to be this far from the comforts of your home. And alone, too."

"I'd say the same thing, but you don't have a mansion to go home to any longer, so I won't," She said with a smirk before gesturing to the shack behind her. "Is this the best you can do?"

"At least it's something. At least I didn't have to kill anyone to get it." His attempt at a smile disappeared and the glare went away from his face, but the fire burning inside his eyes remained. Marie stared at him with disbelief, pushing back the urge to punch him squarely in the jaw for that comment. She held it back, knowing that she wouldn't even come close to hitting him.

"Are you still hung up on the rumor that Anna and I had something to do with our father's death?" She asked, staring at him some more.

"Perhaps I am. You and Anna seemed pretty damn convinced that I killed your sister, so we're even," Johnny answered simply. Something changed on his face that Marie did not see, a small twinge of remembrance that he wished he could ignore.

"You were the last one with her, so you tell me what happened," Marie said, crossing her arms over her chest. Johnny rubbed his forehead, sighing. It was hard enough to explain to his son why he didn't have a mother, but trying to explain a sister's death to a Von Helson was much worse.

"I have, countless times. I can't help but wonder why you don't believe it. You both saw the signs. You knew it was hard on her. In the end, her body just gave out." He looked over Marie's shoulder at Gino, who looked more interested in leaning against the boulder and looking up at the sky above then at the conversation. Perhaps it was a glance to hide a twinge of pain that came upon his eyes, to shield it away from Marie. Whatever it was, she would have ignored it anyways. "Can we discuss past events another time? I have more important things to do then to talk with you."

Marie frowned, watching Johnny's gaze return to her. She knew who he was looking at, wondering if the boy was trying to listen in on a conversation he might not remember in the future. Johnny knew that his current memories weren't affected by the amnesia caused by the Halloween incident, but he did not want to let the sisters know something was wrong besides the obvious. That was the main concern at the moment, keeping Gino safe from them and out of their clawed reach.

"You never told him of his mother, did you?" Marie asked, shaking her head. "That's sad, him not knowing anything about his mother. It really is."

"It is none of your business what I tell or do not tell my son," He snarled at her, the anger that she had seen in his eyes returning full-force. I have every right to step in when need be."

"What's going on?" Gino asked from behind Marie. Johnny blinked, seeing his son look up at him as he pushed himself away from the boulder and stare into his eyes. Everything about him changed, his face softening from the expression he had been giving Marie, the flames in his eyes becoming faint embers, and a genuine smile pressed upon his lips. "Who is she?"

"I'll talk to you later, Gino. Go inside," Johnny said, nodding towards the shack. Gino stood there, unable to hide his own surprise that he hadn't been answered as quickly as he had hoped. With a raise of his voice, his father could make sure that his son obeyed him without even having to raise a hand to him. "Gino, inside."

"Yes sir," The boy said meekly at the slight elevation in Johnny's voice. He spun around quickly, nearly running to the run-down shack and flinging the door open. Casting one last glance at Marie, Gino shivered at something that he faintly remembered and moved inside where it was warmer then it was outside.

"You can't keep him in the dark forever. He has a right to know things," Marie said, looking back at Johnny after watching the boy move inside without much word. If her father had told her to go inside when she had wanted to know something, she wouldn't have just given a quiet response and done what she had been told.

"I tell my son things when I decide he has a right to know," Johnny snapped at her, walking towards her before stopping by her side. He lowered his voice, his eyes falling to the ground without even a glance towards her. "I suggest you leave, now. It's for the best that he doesn't remember certain things right now. The past isn't always kind to those that don't wish to remember."

"I won't tell Anna where you are, that much I can tell you right now. She'll eventually find out, so I wouldn't linger here for long," Marie said, her expression softening for a single second before it reverted back to it's cold, uncaring state. "Don't think I am keeping your hiding spot a secret from her for you. It's for Gino and him only. Anna hates you more then I do and that's saying something. I honestly don't give a damn about you. You can starve to death for all I care."

"I don't expect anything from you or Anna, but thanks anyways. The feeling is mutual," He replied with what was masked as a glare but Marie saw the understanding in his eyes. She knew what it was like to be out in the cold with no where to go and no one to help her except for the one that she had spent her life with. It was only that one thing that she held in common with the man that turned his gaze away and strode to the shack that he shared with his son.

Marie stood there for a moment more, contemplating the thought of rushing to her sister and giving her the information of Johnny's whereabouts. That would give them more then enough reason to go back out into the cold, braving everything for a revenge that was beyond sweet. Her sister would find out about this shack eventually and she planned on telling her about it herself. The only difference would be that the shack would be empty of all but it originally contained other then the two that dwelled in it from the cold.

The two that, she knew, she would see again very soon.

**Until Next Time**


	3. Chapter 2: Relics of the Past

A Story For The Ages

**Part Two:** _Regaining Memories_

**Written By:** _Armina Qi Saxton_

**Standard Disclaimer:** _See Prologue_

Chapter Two: _Relics Of The Past_

It was too quiet in Gaia, despite countless Gaians out and about during the cold mid-January afternoon. Many crowded the streets of Durem, the sandy beaches of Isle de Gambino, the paved roads of Barton; even Aekea was busy at this time of day when so few usually went out of their way to go there. Yet, still, there was a calmness to this day, when so many brought a certain hecticness to it. It was as though, despite the apparent rush, a cloud of serenity hung in the air.

The lazy sun loomed overhead, bearing down upon two souls that walked out of the city of Durem behind a group of mid-day shoppers. Instead of going down the dirt path that lead towards Barton, they moved south, towards the small communities that sat along the outer fringes of Durem's border. These communities, homes built years before these two had returned to their natural home, was not the destination in which the two held their sight upon. It held further south, perhaps no more then a mile and a half from the last brick house.

They had walked this distance before, at least five times in secret since the uproar of ten years prior. There was a smaller community not far from the one they were moving towards; instead of being for the living, this one housed the dead. It was a graveyard, one of the three that the Council of old had placed when there was no more need to burn the bodies of those that passed onto the next life. There were still few pyres that burned for those that had wished to be turned into ash, but the homes of the dead were easier to manage, if not more expensive.

And it was one of these graveyards, the closest to Durem, that they knew all too well. The headstones of former Councils and some of the wealthiest Gaians were buried here, safe as they could be in the ground. At least they knew not the horrors of the living world, or the ones that stepped around fading memories to get to ones that were still very much alive.

"Here it is. Our family's grave," Marie said, stopping at the headstone that held the surname of Von Helson on top, and the names of their mother, father, and sister along the middle. Anna stopped closer to it then her sister did, throwing the bundle of flowers she held into the grave itself. They landed upon the ground at an angle, some of the petals from the roses falling off upon impact. "It's too bad we couldn't get a better resting place for them. The ground isn't a place for the Von Helsons."

"Yes, it is a pity," Anna responded dryly, hardly caring about where they had buried their dead much less how they had died. "Looks like no one bothered with this one's upkeep."

"So true," Marie replied in a soft voice, glancing at her sister. Anna knelt in front of the grave, moving a hand along the engraving of their father's name, a whisper of guilt washing over Marie. There were things that she wanted to say to make Anna forget the things that had happened years before, things that still haunted her to this day. No matter what the remedies she tried were, the late night talking, the parties that they engrossed themselves in, nothing seemed to work. Not even the little things they should have remembered from their childhood.

"It's not fair that we have to do this. We can't figure out the clues he left behind without his help, even if it is a dead man's whisper," Anna said, more to the grave that held three bodies then to herself or to her sister.

"He did as he said he would, but we didn't believe him," Marie said, crossing her arms over her chest. "He warned us that he would keep his promise."

Anna glared at her sister from over her shoulder, her cold eyes staring directly at her. "What in all of the hells are you talking about? What promise?"

"He took his secrets to the grave. He knew we would want them. That way, we wouldn't be able to get to them without tearing everything apart, if we could find it at all," Marie said softly under her gaze. Anna didn't respond right away, exhaling angrily. They had torn everything apart that they knew of, tried everything that came to mind, but still there was nothing there. Nothing more then what they had already been left.

"Not all secrets are meant to be kept with the dead." Casting a sideways look at the grave, she stood up, brushing off the cold grass from her pants. She turned fully towards Marie, her eyes lowering down to the ground. "They aren't dead like he is. they are around here somewhere, even if we have to blow our own mansion into pieces to get to them."

"Anna, where haven't we looked?" Marie rubbed her forehead, tired of running around in circles, searching for something that wasn't there. There wasn't a place in Gaia they hadn't checked at least twenty times since they had come back home, not even their own home was left unscathed. "We've searched the mansion, the bank, the guilds, and even the rubble on the island. The last thing we need to do is make our home the same as the one on the island. What he let behind is hidden good, buried somewhere in this damnable land, if it is anything at all."

"Hidden it good, it is," Anna echoed, lapsing into silence. Her eyes closed, her thoughts lingering on the last breaths that their father had spoken to them as he laid dying on the floor of the mansion, in a pool of his own blood. They had been garbled, barely even auditable, but both had understood completely what he had meant. Everything has ties in blood. Those five words had a meaning to them that night one understood and couldn't to this day, not even the ten years after his death.

Then her eyes snapped open, a faint smile coming upon her lips as she moved her head back up. There was a glint of an idea that formed in her mind, one that she had not thought of before but now knew that it was something she should have dwelled on for more then a single moment. That glint flickered in her eyes, causing Marie to look at her with a curiosity that only made the idea seem more worthwhile.

"If he took what he knew to the grave, then we'll just have to dig them up," Anna said, walking past her sister with a faraway look upon her face. She ignore the look that was upon Marie's face, moving quickly back towards the city.

"Don't you think that is going too far?" Marie asked, a worried tone in her voice. Anna stopped walking completely, spinning around with a flare. There was something in Marie's eyes that indicated she did not like the idea of digging up the dead, but she ignored it just as she had ignored the pleading tone in which had been spoken to her.

"Going too far? No, I don't think so, Marie. I think we have the right to know our family's history, don't you think so?" She gestured around at the spit of land they were standing in. "Look around you, Marie. We don't know if this whole land of Gaia is ours, or if we have claim to something greater then it. I, for one, want to regain what we lost and get it back as soon as possible. I intend on doing that, with or without your help."

Anna turned around on her heels, walking quickly back towards the city. Marie stood there, watching her sister leave her at the gravesite without even a hint of a goodbye. She wanted to run after her, take her by the shoulders, and shake her back to her senses, even if there was some truth to her words today and the words she had spoken in the past. There was something terrible that was going to happen, something that Marie couldn't shake from her body, something that brought the extra chill to the air.

"Anna, we can't continue living in the past. Anna!" Marie called after her, but Anna was too far towards Durem to even hear her words. Rolling her eyes, she started to jog in the direction of the city, not even casting a single longing look at the graves that stood behind her. There was no use in looking back, only ahead; that was the way time went, forwards but not backwards. If only some would allow themselves to moving with the flow of time, then there was no reason to look over their shoulders.

****

Many miles to the northwest of Durem, across most of the known territories, a single boat glided towards Isle de Gambino from the port. It held two occupants, both male, but with one looking as though he did not want to be anywhere near the island. He had hesitated at the port, casting a longing expression towards Barton before climbing into the boat with a sigh. If he could, he wouldn't have left the comforts of warmth behind, but there were other things that he had to do on the island, things that he was ready to forget.

Leon stared straight ahead at the island that slowly came closer to him, a light fog settling over the water. The boat master sat behind him, carefully steering the small craft towards it's destination without word. There wasn't much to say between the two, only content on listening to the wind as it moved past them in shallow harmony. One kept to his duties in guiding them to the island, the other wishing he was going somewhere else other the soft, sandy beaches.

The fear of going to the island wasn't due in the fact that he knew Rina was there, waiting for him. He had asked her to wait for him there without telling her more then she needed to know until he saw her in person. It was because of something held secret there, laying in wait for almost ten years for them to come and claim it. His and Rina's parents vault lay undisturbed for those same ten years, waiting for the day when it could be opened by those who were left behind. What the vault held, Leon didn't know nor held any curiosity to know either. Doing this, going back into a past that he could barely forget, was for Rina and Rina only.

The only true smile Leon had been able to muster in the last few weeks, came to his lips when the boat steadily reached the short of the island. It wasn't directed at the place itself, but rather the person that he saw standing not far from the boat's landing site. It was a young woman, looking no older then sixteen but was only a few years older, wearing an old coat overtop a yellow dress. Her face lip up when she saw Leon climb out of the boat and onto the sandy shore, muttering his thanks to the boat master and tossing several coins into his waiting hand.

"Leon, why did you want me to come to the Bank with you? It's too cold out to do anything." Rina shivered, bringing her coat around her even more tighter then it was. It wasn't exactly freezing, but the cold never really bothered Leon as he walked up to her, his smile fading. At least not the degree in which it affected most Gaians. He was used to the cold, having spent many sleepless nights moving about in the winter, keeping watch over the small townships.

"There are some things there for us that Meredith has been keeping safe. It's time we got them," Leon said, as he begun the rest of the walk towards the Bank. Rina hesitated, looking back at the small boat that had carried Leon across from the port. It was heading back to the other side, where she could barely make out several Gaians waiting to be shuttled across the water through the light fog. She shook her head, rushing to Leon's side as she walked in stride with him.

"At the Bank?" She asked, giving him a sideways look. "Why would there be anything for us there?"

"It is from our parents," He said lightly. Although she took notice that he did not look at her when he spoke those few words, Rina's face lit up even more and a smile spread across her lips.

"Oh, good. I can't wait to see what they left us," She said in a half squealing tone, a tingling feeling washing over her. That feeling, the feeling of that she was going to open something exciting, soon evaporated, as did her smile, once she saw the expression that was held upon Leon's face. It gave her the impression that he did not want to go into the Bank for this, not even when he would be taking his flirt look at was left behind for them. "You'll be okay with this, won't you?"

"I'll be fine," Leon said with a faraway tone and eyes straight forwards. Grabbing him by the arm, Rina forcibly pulled him to a stop, which held a certain degree of impossible to it, considering she was trying to pull a well-muscled man in a good deal of armor to a full and complete stop. Leon diverted a glare towards her when he stopped, wondering why he had been pulled back when they were so close to the Bank as it were.

"No, you won't be. I can tell. You are shaking and you won't even look at me." Rina let go of his arm, allowing her arms to fall imply at her side. There was a truth to her words, one that he wouldn't readily admit, not even to her. How she could tell he was shaking uncontrollable under his armor, Leon could only guess. "Leon, please look at me. Tell me what's wrong."

There was a pleading tone to her voice, a tone in which Leon did not like to hear, especially coming from her. He had a very good reason not to look at her, mainly because it was hard enough as it were to walk this far to the Bank with the idea he was going to be looking at things that his parents had left him and Rina. Dread had filled him, from the moment that he had walked out of the Guild Office to the present, when he and Rina stood in front of the Bank. He did not want to go in there and move around things that were long-since dead, not when there were other things that he would rather be doing. Things that were relics of a time that he only wished he could forget just as easily as others had.

"It's not that easy, Rina, to forget things," Leon said with a shake of his head. "You've somehow managed to block everything out that happened. I can't do that. I'm not like you."

"You think it's easy to block that out? Our parents' deaths? Or did you forget that I saw that happen as well?" She looked down at the ground, fighting the tears that were just waiting to be let go. "I'm still having nightmares about it. I wake up, only to find nothing there. I can still hear mom screaming for us to get away, just before she was shot." She raised her eyes slightly, mists of tears already at the base of her eyes. "It scares me to hear it again when I sleep, only to wake up and know that it isn't a dream."

"They scare me too," Leon softly said, gently taking Rina's hand and giving it a tight squeeze. She looked up at him, their eyes meeting and an understand coming between them. They both knew there were some things that were still there, between the past and the present, that they couldn't get rid if until they faced them. "Are you sure you want to go in there and see what they left us?"

"Yes, I am," Rina said, latching onto his arm tightly. There was more to her being scared of nightmares, more to her wanting to step back into the past, more to everything then she knew.

"Okay, then. Let's go," Leon said as calmly as he could, despite his stomach becoming entangled with fear and doubt. He couldn't show these emotions to Rina, not when they were at the Bank's doorstep. When all was said and done, then he would relax and become more at ease. Until then, there was nothing he could do except that he was doing into a dark place as he lead Rina into the Bank, terrified.

**Until Next Time**


	4. Chapter 3: Out of the Wreckage

A Story For The Ages

**Part Two:** _Regaining Memories_

**Written By:** _Armina Qi Saxton_

**Standard Disclaimer:** _See Prologue_

Chapter Three: _Out Of The Wreckage_

The water had a calming effect on his clouded mind, allowing him to think without a seemingly familiar voice interrupting them. It gave him a few moments of peaceful silence, despite the loud talking from the streets of the island, and allowed him to just gaze silently out into the countless miles of ocean. He couldn't remember if he had done this before, or what the remains of a life used to look like as it laid behind him, but he knew he was enjoying just standing there.

Gino hadn't moved from his spot on the beach in over an hour, his back turned to the rubble that once his home. Forgotten, but still his home nonetheless. The spot he had chosen to stare out into the wide ocean held a certain comfort to it, although the mess behind him felt much more cold then the day brought. Something didn't feel right about it, not even with the assurances from his supposed father that everything was alright. His words didn't help much, just enough to keep his mind at ease for the time being.

Father and son had spent the night near the rubble, Johnny using what he could from the remains as a fire to keep both of them warm from the night and a small blanket he had managed to obtain through methods he thought he had long since abandoned. He had slept no more then two hours the night before, waking from a light sleep every time his son moved from a nightmare that he couldn't control. Even in his dreams he couldn't make sense of memories that were in a complete daze. The boy had awoken several times with seat beads pouring down his face, only to be comforted by his father. That had given him something after every nightmare: the knowledge that there was, at least, someone there to give him that comfort he desperately needed.

Johnny had brought Gino to the rubble in another attempt to bring out any memories that hid behind the fog that kept them at bay. Simple questions were asked to help with the remembrance process, as he lead Gino through the rubble. Everything was too jumbled together to give an accurate description of what everything looked like before it had been blown up, Johnny's own memories doing the best they could to place luxuries of the past. He had stopped talking several times, mostly in attempts to remember himself but to also keep his emotions in check. He was out where everyone could see him and could see just how torn he was inside.

This attempt, like the others, had been in vain; Gino still did not remember anything of his past. If he did, then he wasn't showing any signs of it. He had wandered over to the once private beach and stood in the same spot for the last hour, quietly gazing out to sea. Johnny had watched his son just stand there for almost the full hour, feeling the pain of seeing his son without his memories now more then ever. There wasn't much he could do after this, nothing less then handing Gino's life into the hands of a stranger.

Now he kicked pieces of his home around, unable to continue watching his son stare blindly into the ocean. It hurt him to know that his own son didn't remember who he was or even his home; he couldn't even remember the man that was his father. That cut Johnny deeper then anything else, to know that Gino couldn't remember him. He still would give his own life for a hint of remembrance in the boy's eyes, even if it were just for a moment. That would be enough for him, to know that he was still remembered.

As he kicked a plank of wood out of his way, a piece of torn paper caught Johnny's eyes. He stopped, reaching down to pick up the stray paper from underneath the chipped wood, unsure if it was something that was once a part of his house or something a passing Gaian had carelessly thrown into the mess. When he straightened his back, and gently brushed off the dirt from the blue flyer, his eyes moving along the lettering that had faded from the time it spent in the rubble. A second of surprise came over him, then his face set into a emotionless, harden expression, one that he usually reserved to prove his point. If his son wasn't with him then, despite his lack of interest of things that were going on around him at the moment, Johnny would have gone into more then just a swearing fit.

In fact, he himself was oblivious to the world expect what was in front of him, until Gino pulled on his arm, standing on his toes to look at the flyer that he held. His eyes looked over the first few lines of fancy lettering that looked faded from the rubble, the rest shielded from his view by his father's hands. Looking up at Johnny, he stared at the expression upon his face that held so much anger in it. Gino couldn't help but shrink back from that same look that the flyer was being given, something in his mind triggering a momentary lapse of memory on something that he barely had time to put his grasp upon. Whatever the memory was, it most likely wasn't pleasant.

"What is it? What does it say?" Gino asked, gulping down any fear that he had in him. If the man wouldn't answer with more then just a glare, then he had overstepped his questioning once again. He had done it before, just a week prior when he had asked more then he should have. There had been a small expectation of a slap across the face, but nothing had come but a few harsh words that ended the conversation right then and there. Johnny frowned, more so at the flyer then at the two questions.

"It's for the Anniversary Ball," He said quietly, looking down at his son. He took note of Gino's confused look, expecting nothing short of pieces of jumbled memories that had come from his amnesia that was still too unclear for him to understand. A smile quickly replaced the frown, this confusion something he was more then willing to lift up. "It's a party that's held every year for Gaia. It's on the day the land was created."

"How does anyone know when it was created?" The boy asked, setting his weight back down upon his full two feet. Johnny opened his mouth to answer the simple question, yet found there was no exact answer to it. He, himself, had questioned the exact date on Gaia's creation, but refrained from publicly asking the question to the current Gaian Council, as he never had any reason to. It just gave him a reason to throw another party; unfortunately, this year, there was no party to be held at his sea-side mansion---or, rather, what was left of it.

"I don't know. That's what the Council says the day is, so I suppose it's true to some extent." He frowned again, his attention focusing back upon the flyer. He had half-expected Edmund to throw the Ball this year, since he was the only one that had more then enough contacts and resources, along with more sense then the Sisters, to put together something as big as the Anniversary Ball. "But why the Von Helsons?"

"Who are they?" Gino asked, his eyes not moving from his father's face. Johnny hadn't expected Gino to know who they were, even with meeting with one of them not even a month before. In fact, he didn't even need to question as to why the sisters were throwing the party in the first place; he knew the answer to it already. If he had any gold to his name, he would have bet all of it on the notion that Anna and Marie were throwing the party in favor of support rather then for Gaia's Anniversary.

"None of your concern," Johnny said, folding the flyer neatly and placing it into one of his pockets. "Come on, lets go. It's a little too cold on the island to be standing around with old memories. Lets go some place where it is a bit warmer. We've spent enough time on the beach as it were."

Casting a longing look towards the rubble that had once been his mansion, Gino allowed himself to be pulled towards the port of the island, hardly feeling the nip in the lat January air. He didn't mind the extra chill the salt water brought, feeling more at ease when he stared out into the water. Somehow, though, it wasn't the same, as though he knew the island was special somehow but still not quite his home that he couldn't remember. Perhaps the man that called himself his father wanted it that way, keeping the forgotten past just that. Forgotten.

But there were others that did not have the luxury of forgetting old friends, as a small boy pressed his face, and both of his hands, against the glass of a store window. He watched the father and son duo move towards the port-side, hand in hand and looking cold, sad, and lost, but still more then happy. There was no understanding in his eyes how anyone could be happy, living on the streets without any place to go and with hardly any food to live on. He couldn't understand this, even when he looked up at his mother, who stood behind him with her hands upon his shoulders and her own gaze watching them disappear towards the port.

"Why doesn't Gino stay with us?" Peyo asked innocently enough. Ruby smiled faintly at the question, wishing she could explain more then the little she had been able to do. The child was still young, still unable to fully understand why the Gambinos were on the streets, still unable to fully comprehend the events that made them without a home.

"Because he can't, Peyo. As much as I want him to, he can't," Ruby answered sadly, that answer the best that she could tell him. There was so much more that she wanted to tell him, but couldn't. Not yet. Not when he was so young.

"Is it because of his father?" Peyo asked, turning his head back towards the window and pointing out of it. A smile came upon Ruby's lips, a smile that held a brief lapse of sadness and anger in it before it became forced. She knew it was because of Gino's father, like everyone else on Gaia, yet had held her tongue in saying anything remotely bad about him in front of her son.

"In a way, yes," She said, giving her son's shoulder a squeeze. "I suppose Johnny has allowed Gino out of his sight for more then a moment or two."

Peyo stared out into the world that held itself beyond the glass window, having watched both Johnny and Gino disappear from his line of sight. It saddened him that Gino hadn't come in to see him, on the rare occasion that he had done in the past. Those few instances were the ones that he held in his memory as the ones that he would cherish in a way, the times when there was someone else that he could share secrets with and could hold another's just as well. He wanted that same person that had disappeared to come back, to be the person that he once was, with a smile that hid more then emotional scars.

Peyo's body shuddered at something, Ruby looking down at her son to see what was wrong. She couldn't see his face fully, but knew something was wrong just by the way he was staring out into the outside world. He was too quiet this early in the day, when he usually became excited at seeing so many people coming in and out of the shop. He had hardly spoken five words that morning until a few moments ago, his sad eyes moving from the window as he turned around, keeping his head down so he wouldn't look directly into the face of his mother.

"Peyo, what's wrong?" Ruby asked, kneeling in front of Peyo. Although she had an idea as to why he looked so faraway from her, she needed to ask regardless of what she thought was wrong. She had to know exactly what was wrong before she could make any assumptions. "Why do you look so sad?"

"Because Gino hasn't come to see me in a long time." Peyo hid his face upon her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her neck. "Why?"

Ruby wrapped her arms around him, desperately wanting to answer his question in full but knew that he wouldn't fully understand it. It was true that she hadn't seen Gino come into the shop since Halloween, but she knew there was a reason for the first two months of him not being around in the public's eye. Whether she knew the reason or not, or if it was a valid one to be away for so long without people knowing and seeing him, she didn't know; she couldn't explain where the boy had gone to from Halloween to Christmas or why he had. Not even his own father could tell where Gino had been before he was found without any memories. And Ruby couldn't explain Gino's amnesia to Peyo, with the knowledge that he could understand as that being the reason Gino hadn't been in the store in almost five months.

"Because he can't, honey. I'll explain it to you another time, okay?" Ruby whispered into his ear, squeezing him tight.

"But I want to know now!" Peyo whined from the embrace. Ruby pushed him away from her, placing her hands upon his shoulders and keeping him at an arm's length. The tone in which he had used wasn't something she would tolerate, not when she had already put her foot down on the matter.

"It is hard to explain right now, Peyo," She said slowly, keeping her tone level. She wasn't angry with him the slightest, hoping that the boy would know this from her own soft voice.

"I can't tell you because..." Ruby paused, unable to think of a quick reason as to why she couldn't tell him what was wrong with Gino. There were so many possibilities that she could give to someone else, but not to a young boy that didn't knew to know at the moment. "Because, Gino doesn't want me to tell you, okay? He wants to tell you himself, when he gets better."

That was the only thing she could think of that would hopefully quiet Peyo for the moment. It didn't seem to work, Peyo looking at her with the same wide-eyed stare that he used when he wanted something. Ruby bit back the urge to tell Peyo any more then she had, wishing she could block the look that he was giving her. It was an innocent look, one that she had seen so many times and had the ability to ignore the wide eyes, the pouting lip, and the stare that wanted to know so much more. It was a look that he was the master of being able to ignore, but this was a test that the master was being put through to see if she could attempt to ignore.

"O-okay," Peyo sniffed, looking thoughtful for a moment before smiling softly. "Can we have lunch now?"

"Yes, we can. What would you like?" Ruby asked with a nervous laugh, standing up as she took him by the hand. Although slightly relieved that the subject had been changed from what was wrong with Gino to lunch, she couldn't help but wonder if this was the last that she would hear about it, not just from her son but from the rest of Gaia.

That would be something she would have to worry about another time, as she lead Peyo away from the store front and towards the back room where she could hide away until the next group of Gaians came into the store.

****

The weeks before the Anniversary Ball seemed endless, almost to the point where it felt as though time had stopped completely. Many Gaians had thought it had, checking every clock they came across, to make sure that the minutes were actually going by. And, yet, the 18th of February had finally rolled in, causing more then a slight panic for those that had not gotten their last-minute items. Stores would close early on this day, despite the fact that the Ball had started hours before; those that ran the store knew they had the time to stroll into Durem and check out the party, before departing to a well-deserved rest. Only a few did not bother to open up shop, as their owners had long since left for the ball.

There was enough anticipation for the Ball as it were without the general uneasiness that some felt, perhaps because so many wanted to know the faces behind the ones that called themselves the Von Helson Sisters. Those that did not know who they were, wondered why they had never heard of them before the announcement of the Ball; the rest dreaded even looking upon the sisters again, for they remembered what they were like. There would be so very few that would not even bother to attend the Ball, in respect for those that had lost so much to two that did not deserve to be back upon Gaian soil.

And, yet, they flocked towards the Von Helson mansion, on the far corner of the city of Durem. There were already many Gaians waiting outside the large, sturdy doors of the mansion, glancing up at the clock tower for the time. It wasn't long before a large crowd had gathered, eagerly showing off their clothing that they had put together. Some were lavish, expensive to those that looked envious at those that could afford something such as those items; others were more outlandish, dressing up in things that were leftover from events prior. Regardless of who wore what, as soon as the clock tower rang the hour of the start of the Ball, the twin doors opened up, and the crowd that had gathered turned together as one in awe of the new mansion. Then they started to pour in, ready to start partying.

Up above the streets, watching the crowds of Gaians beginning to enter their mansion, Anna Von Helson stared down upon them like vultures with Marie Von Helson looking boredly through her closet. They were partially dressed, hardly looking like the lavish women who would soon make their entrance into the Grand Ballroom in a few short hours. They intended on keeping their guests waiting for as long as they wanted to, silently watching the movements of each Gaian with more then enough security and cameras to keep them safe. They knew there would be one or two nutcases that would get past the guards---and they more then expected it to happen.

"Here are the first few herds of sheep," Anna muttered, smiling at the crowd that was entering through the main entrance. "So easy to sway, some of them."

Marie looked up from pushing a red shoe back into her closet, a twitch in her eyes passing. She crossed the bedroom that she had chosen as a little girl so long ago, moving to the window that overlooked the city. Crossing her arms over her chest, she stared down at the crowd that was beginning to end, staring at the amount of people that had shown up, despite it being only several minutes past the hour in which the Ball had started. It was frightening to think that so many had shown up and the event had barely even begun.

"Look at them all. I didn't expect that there were so many in Gaia and the Ball has barely started." Marie frowned at the idea of having so many people confined to the one room that couldn't possibly fit so many people. "How are we going to keep this many confined to the Ballroom? I don't know how father could have done it before."

"We aren't," Anna said with a sly smile. "We'll allow them free reign of the house, for the time being. Any of them gets out of line, the security will handle it. That's what we are paying them for. Not much, but enough to do their job."

"Perhaps," Marie muttered, scanning the fading crowd. There were few that were moving slow, looking around at the entrance way to the mansion, as though they had never seen one before. Others wanted to get inside, to see if the rumors were true, that this mansion was more elegant then the mansion that had once stood on the island. "You would think that Gambino would have been one of the first at the doors, pounding them down before the start of it."

"Oh, he'll show eventually, don't you worry. Everyone is expecting him to come to the party, regardless of what he looks like," Anna said with a yawn. "Him and that vegetable son of his. That boy should have grown up a Von Helson."

"Ah, well. It's too late to make him one now, despite his total lack of memories for his mother." Marie shrugged, dropping her arms down to her side as she turned away from the window. She wasn't the least bit worried about the two remaining members of the Gambino family at the moment, more intent on getting ready for the Ball then who would be coming to it. "Let's finish getting ready for the Ball, then make them wait."

Marie glided over to the massive walk-in closet that she had, starting to move several pieces of clothing aside as ideas for things to wear. Anna stayed by the window a few moments more, looking down at the now nearly empty street before turning and walking in the same fashion that her sister had taken to get to the closet.

"Not too long," Anna advised sternly, the sly smile re-appearing upon her lips. "They'll think we're being rude to them."

Both sisters snickered, knowing full well that they did not care what the public thought of them at the moment, only that they were there and ready to accept the sisters as the new powerhouse in Gaia. those that did not see their vision of changing how Gaia was, from the foundation that they thought was already weak to the top of the ladder that held everything together, they would simply ignore. There was too much they had to do, with so little distractions they could take; nothing would stop them at this point, not even if it cost them their lives.

And one such distraction had started for the city only an hour before, making it's way from the outskirts of Gaia and her territories to the entrance-way of Durem itself. It paused at the archway, not even bothering to glance up to the clock tower to see what the time was, like so many other Gaians had when they entered Durem for the first time that day. No, it didn't need to know the time as it moved silently towards the mansion in the far-most corner of the city, deep purple eyes looking every which way just to see who was watching the descent to the Ball.

Johnny Gambino too his steps carefully, his son following him closely with every step like a lost puppy. He looked around more nervously at the near quietness that the streets held, scared that something was wrong somewhere, despite knowing that there was a good enough reason as to why there were so few people on the streets. The streets he remembered, when he had been taken to them before this day, had always been bustling with life. Now they seemed like they belonged to a ghost town rather then to a city that didn't seem to sleep.

"Gino, keep up," Johnny's tired voice demanded. Gino blinked, hardly aware that he even had stopped in the middle of the street. He hurriedly ran to catch up with his father, who was nearly at the steps to the mansion. The boy nearly ran into the man, who had stopped abruptly at the base of the stairs, looking up at the towering form. A gut-wrenching feeling washed over him, something that he hadn't felt since he had seen his mansion in rubble. Several Gaians walked by them, offering little more then a smile towards Gino, who was staring more at the opened doorway then at the mansion itself.

He took several careful steps around his father, towards the doorway that was a giant compared to him. Music and voices flooded from inside, cries of laughter rang above all other noise. Gino's body stiffened as two female Gaian's ran past him, giggling and wide-eyed. Only one stopped, turned around, and stared at the boy who looked straight back at her with the same shocked expression. Then she walked towards him, leaned forwards, and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. He barely had time to react before the girl dashed up the stairs and into the mansion, as though nothing had happened.

Gino put a hand on his cheek, a blush going over his face as he looked up at his father. Johnny raised an eyebrow, an amused look on his face, and a futile attempt to hold back a laugh at the look upon his son's face. Gino's face only reddened more, embarrassed more by the actions of the girl then his father's own amusement; at the moment, he wasn't so sure if he wanted to enter the mansion, now that there was a chance that he could be embarrassed even further. Even without his memories, he hated to be put in the center of attention, just wishing to stay back and allow others to. But the smile on the man's lips, the first genuine smile he had seen since Christmas, made that doubt go away.

"Lets go in," Gino muttered, still clearly blushing at the small kiss he had received as he looked away from his father. "Stop looking at me like that."

"Ah, Gino. You'll receive many more kisses like that in your lifetime," Johnny said in a loving tone, squeezing one of his son's shoulders before walking up to the mansion ahead of his son. Gino stared after him, a half-smile on his lips as he lowered his hand and walked to the doorway. If he felt as though this was the beginning of one day that would turn out more then expected to, then he was more then right.

It soon became apparent that there would be the trouble of finding his father in the crowed of people dancing, talking, and enjoying themselves, as he had lost him when both had entered the mansion. Gino found himself being pushed into the ballroom by a rather odd looking Gaian couple, creating an even bigger distance between himself and Johnny. He felt a sense of panic rise in him, looking around frantically in the overcrowded room. One could argue that it was near impossible to loose someone like Johnny Gambino in any place due to his size, but with so many people gathered in one spot, it became less hard to do.

Gino managed to squeeze past several Gaians, who took no notice of him even though they knew who he was. His panic level rose more and more, his eyes darting left and right in an attempt to find his father. Suddenly, a hand clamped down upon the boy's shoulder, causing him to yelp and gasp with surprise. A few looked in his direction as he turned around quickly, finding himself facing his father rather then an unknown stranger. He sighed as the man lowered his arm, his eyes moving around the room.

"Stay close," Johnny muttered quietly to his son. His tone had transformed from the few minutes the two had been briefly separated, from a soft, loving tone to a depressed, alone one. "I must say this place is pretty nice. If I had my mansion, I would be throwing this event myself."

He didn't know if anyone had heard his voice over the crowd that seemed to have ignored him, but there were a few that had turned their heads towards the two. They gave Johnny a smile and a nod, their eyes locking together for a brief moment before his eyes averted down to his son. Gino looked back up at him, glad that he didn't have to wander around the ballroom to find his father as they made their way from near the entrance of the room to where there was more space for them to move more freely. Johnny kept a firm hand on his shoulder, intent on not loosing his son again in the crowd. He didn't know what these Gaian's would do if they had the opportunity to

The move to a less crowded spot in the ballroom, even if he had to search for that small little spot, did him no good. Not even five minutes had gone by when Johnny found himself and Gino surrounded by a group of Gaians, who all looked at him with wide-eyes, the same expression that Gino often look at him with but with less innocence and more memory in their eyes. Johnny looked around at them, staring at their faces, not recognizing any of them, yet wondering why such a crowd had gathered around him. They began to mutter things, questions asking how he was doing and where they were going to be living next.

"How's your son?" Someone piped up from inside the small crowd, through the endless babbling on how glad they were to see him and Gino at the ball. Johnny opened his mouth to answer the question, placing his other hand upon Gino's shoulder, before he closed his mouth again. That was a question that he hadn't been asked by anyone other then those he had known best; if the crowd could see what others, like Edmund and Vanessa, could see, then he didn't need to answer the question. Yet, the question kept coming up, from the mouths of others that were beginning to gather around him, regardless if he heard the support from them or not. He had to answer the question, to stop them from coming up again.

"Gino---well, look at him. He has lost his soul, it seems. He does not even remember his own father. I don't know what to do with him anymore," Johnny said in a nearly whispering voice, nodding down to his son, perhaps to show the Gaians just how distant his son's eyes looked. The last part was true; he didn't know what else to do with his son. Gino only stayed with him because Johnny was the only person that he knew, in a sense, memories or not, and because it didn't seem like there was anyone else that could take care of up. "But, all of you. Thank you for your kind words. It really lightens my heart."

Some of the Gaian's that had gathered around beamed up at him, a fine mist of tears welling at the base of his eyes. The few that had gathered that didn't seem to care if the Gambino's were there or not, those that just wanted to see why people were gathering around in the back, grumbled rather rude things before walking away. Johnny ignored those words like he had ignored them before, moving away from the corner in order to see the reaction his presence gave to others better. Gino walked silently at his side, looking over his shoulder at the small crowd that had started to follow them. His eyes turned back forwards, a hand moving into his father's, matching the man's stride step for step. He felt scared at the group that had surrounded them, unsure as to why they had gathered there in the first place.

As he walked along the outskirts of the dancing Gaian's, his ears picked up more then what his eyes saw. There were mutters of who exactly the Von Helson Sisters were, why they were throwing the Ball instead of someone else that they knew more, and how they managed to get such a large mansion in only a few short weeks since the announcement of where the Ball was going to be held. Johnny held back his tongue for the time being until he could pass those that were giving him more then a glare and a few fleeting words, knowing full well how the sisters managed to get the mansion and the money to afford it. There were echoes of the questions that he had heard, from those that were still following him, waiting for any answers from him to confirm what he thought they already knew, along with smaller conversations amongst themselves.

"As for these Von Helson sisters---BAH!" Johnny growled out, stopping suddenly with narrowed eyes as if he had gone along with the conversations behind him the whole time he was walking. His following stopped just as suddenly to keep from running into father and son, questioning eyes looking up at him as he turned around swiftly, hardly staring at those that were waiting for him to continue. Either that, or he had jumped into the conversations quickly enough that they didn't know how to respond to his sudden outburst. "I knew their father. Count Vladimir Von Helson was a great man. If he knew what his daughters were up to, he'd be rolling in his grave."

Whether that was true or not, the small crowd around him didn't know nor did they care. There was some truth to his words, more then what Johnny was willing to publicly say. Yes, he did know the sisters father, in a way that he wasn't about to explain to the following that was behind him. Vladimir had been a great man in his own right, having built up an empire just like Johnny had before it crumbled to the ground, but Vladimir had more things going for him then Johnny had when he had first started out. More money, more of an established background, and more contacts then he would have ever had in his lifetime.

If the late count knew what his daughters were up to, something Johnny had always thought he didn't know, then he there was no indication in his life that he had.

****

It felt like the Ball had gone on all day already even though it had only been a few hours, many Gaians leaving the mansion to get some rest so that they could come back later that day to start the cycle all over again. Some had left the mansion for good, not up to more partying until the next event came rolling along, despite this event not being for many more months. Others were just arriving, asking questions on what had happened and if they missed anything exciting since the Ball had started. Some were met with half answers by those that they passed by at the entrance to the mansion, their rounds of questions still persisting others so that they could get the full effect of what had happened by those that were unwilling to answer them fully.

There wasn't much to tell those that hadn't been there from the beginning, except that the wait for the Von Helson Sisters was still going on and that the only other person that they could really talk to that still had a remote ounce of popularity was Johnny Gambino. Oh, there was the shopkeepers from all over Gaia, from Edmund to Ian, from Ruby to Liam, but no one found them more intriguing then seeing the former most powerful man sitting in a corner with his son, who now held a blank, wandering look on his face as though he was more lost then ever. None was surprised to see that there were those that still remained loyal to him, despite everything that had happened and the undead turning of so many Gaian's.

Not even ten minutes after the first batches of new Gaian's had arrived to the mansion, nearly three hours after it had started, everything went unnaturally quiet. The music had stopped abruptly, the bits of conversation that went with it came to a halt, and the wild dancing, along with the roaming Gaian's who went from place to place, had come to a standstill. Everyone became confused, looking around if that would help clear anything up, and all but one person that frowned at the prospect that he now knew that the sisters were about to make their entrance. Johnny stood from his sitting position in his corner, his eyes moving from the center of the dancing floor to where two staircases stopped at the floor near the entrance of the ballroom. In just a few moments, he knew that Anna and Marie Von Helson would be coming down them and would be lapping up the unneeded attention. He found that he didn't care and hoped that the sisters would not notice his presence right away.

And he was right, as the twin Von Helson sisters made their way to the top of the stairs from somewhere else inside their grand mansion, Anna taking to the left staircase and Marie to the right, as they stood at the top for a few moments, to allow their presence to be known throughout the mansion. Clamoring could be heard to get to the ballroom as the sisters started their descent to the ground level, their eyes wandering down to the group of Gaians that were staring up at them with wide eyes as they smiled rather falsely at them. Some were pushing each other out of the way, to get a better glimpse of the ones that held more then their interest. They seemed to be more willing to do things to get the sister's attention, even with the looks that both of them were giving the massive crowds that few noticed

Anna's smile turned into a frown at the crowd, as she and Marie took the last few steps down the stairs and stood where they had finished their descent. Her eyes scanned the crowd, a disgusted feeling washing over her as though the mere thought of being in the front of so many people that weren't worth her time was a waste. She could see that more then a handful hadn't even bothered to get dressed up in expensive clothing like both had hoped, putting something together as quickly as they rushed to the ball. Regardless, and with a sideways look from her sister, Anna plastered a smile back upon her lips and tried to look as though she happy to be in front of such a large gathering when she was more then willing to go back up to her room and spend the rest of the day inside it.

"Welcome to the real party," Anna called out over the muttering crowd, her voice echoing across the ballroom. If that was the loudness of her voice, or perhaps she and her sister had microphones hidden somewhere in what little clothing they had, no one bothered to ask nor did they care. Some had finally stopped holding their breaths after holding it in for so long, their eyes shining in the presence of their hosts.

"We, the Von Helson Sisters, have arrived," Marie went on, smiling bigger then her sister was doing. The two walked to each other, the sisters joining each other in front of the large crowd that held it's attention upon them before they turned to the crowd once again. Some grumbled that, now with the sisters at the Ball and the wait for them was finally over, that the Ball needed to go on without any further introductions and delays, so that they could get back to what they were doing before. The rest didn't care, as they stared at the sisters with more then a few intentions of undressing them with their eyes alone.

Regardless of what the mixed crowd thought, the sisters continued on with their long-winded introduction, introducing each other with a flare above the other. They muttered other things, more to themselves then to the crowd, as several maids started to descend the stairs, not in the same delicate fashion that the sisters had, only because there were handfuls of hats, balloons on strings, and small boxes in their hands. The crowd's eyes moved quickly from the sisters to the maids that were gathering behind their employer's, their eyes on the ground as though they weren't allowed to look at anyone. They had little expression on their faces, their faces looking as though they would rather be doing something then serving the sisters and handing out favors.

"We're handing out some great things for you," Marie said as soon after the seemingly long introductions were over, waving a hand over her shoulder to indicate the favors that the maids held. "So, get some drinks and start having fun!"

"Lets get this party started!" The sisters shouted out together, the music starting again just as quickly as it had stopped. It took several moments for the crowd to start getting back into the swing to the Ball, many going back to what they had been doing as though they had not been interrupted by the introduction of the sisters. Anna waved to the maids behind her and Marie to start handing out the party favors to the guests, no matter how many items they had of each as the two of them stayed where they were.

"Think we got their attention?" Marie asked her sister as quietly as she could, although she knew that her voice wouldn't carry over the crowd that had become so loud once again. Anna smiled genuinely this time, knowing full well that they had gotten more then a few of the Gaian's attention, just with how they looked alone. They soon would get everyone's attention, and support, even if it took the rest of the day to get.

"Soon you all forget about that loser, Gambino," Anna whispered more to the crowd then to her sister, a laugh escaping her lips. No one seemed to be paying attention to Anna's cruel laughter, or the looks upon the sister's faces, as all of Gaia went on to celebrate the day of the land's birth. Whether or not it mattered to them that something would happen that day, they still found no reason to leave despite the feelings that something was going to happen. They needed a reason to not do anything but have fun and the Ball was more then a good enough excuse.

**Until Next Time**


	5. Chapter 4: Who Goes There?

A Story For The Ages

**Part Two:** _Regaining Memories_

**Written By:** _Armina Qi Saxton_

**Standard Disclaimer:** _See Prologue_

Chapter Four: _Who Goes There?_

It had been several hours since the sisters had shown up at their own party, both moving along the party-goers with at least two or more maids trailing behind them with items most everyone had two of already. They smiled falsely at everyone, eying those they did not like from across the room, and trying to overstep attempts of rabid fans making grabs at them. Security promptly whisked them away, a lot faster then the two had thought they would, and put them back in with the normal crowd. Had they realized the maniac expressions of some would have sent chills down their spines, their choices of clothing would have been much different then what they were currently wearing.

Still, they went around the room several times, making sure that most of those that were there had at least one of everything, even if they had pushed their party favors into the hands of another. Marie had seen more then a few pop their balloons and throwing the remains into the trash, where they thought it belonged, and the hats didn't seem to fair much better. She had to bite her lower lip to keep herself from shouting across the ballroom at those that had thrown these items away so carelessly. These items weren't expensive, but rather cheap knock-offs of what they wore and things that they had gotten for much less then they would have paid in any part of Gaia and her few outer territories.

The items that seemed to be the most in demand for partygoers, the items that sat in the small boxes that had velvet inside, were the halves of the same pin that the sisters wore. These pins were in the shape of a V that overshadowed a small H, glittering in the fair light of the ballroom. Despite that these items were clearly the cheapest of the party favors, and that the sisters only had a half of the pin in each box, the crowds of people went ecstatic over it. Hordes of people could be seen trying to find the other half to their pin, whether it was attempting to buy off boxes that the maids held or from fellow partygoers.

The sisters took note of some of the party-goers looks as they went by them, even those that paid no heed to them as they went on a quest to get the rest of their pins, eyeing some of them back with a fierceness that only some could give back in full. Others simply lowered their gazes when either sister glared their way, their eyes going back up to them once the two had left. However, there was one look they could ignore completely, one that stared at them from across the ballroom. Johnny Gambino watched the sisters move around, his arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his lips as his eyes move along with Anna and Marie's movements. He fought the urge to walk over to where they were and slap them across their faces more then once, even if it got him kicked out of the mansion. The looks on their faces would be enough for him, regardless of what they would do to him afterwards, whether it was a swift kick out or shackles to his wrists

The only two things that kept him from striking both of them multiple times, were the same things that loyally stayed by him. His supporters, surprisingly dwarfed by those that were oogling the sisters and those that were just happy partying, made a ring around him, as though they were his own personal bodyguard force. Some were standing, talking with those that were sitting about things that had happened, things that were happening, and things that they wondered would ever happen. Others had wandered away briefly, to dance and to get things to eat while others muttered their support as they left for the time being, to come back later and stay within the ring of others that shared the same goal: to bring Johnny K. Gambino back into power. There were a couple of Gaians that had fallen asleep right where they were, their backs leaning against the wall and heads laying upon the shoulders of others. He didn't want them to think that he would raise a hand to anyone where they could see them, especially two young women who could do more to him then he could do to them.

The other reason, was the boy that stood next to him, hands resting in Johnny's hand and head against his arm. Gino had remained quiet since they had entered the mansion, keep close to his father's side like glue, despite a few attempts by his father and others to dance. His eyes looked glazed over, his face as though he had no emotions stored inside him, and body slightly limp. To those that didn't look close enough, or weren't one of the many that had stayed around the two, though there was something more wrong with him then loss of memory. There was nothing wrong with him, other then the weariness that he felt.

Johnny felt drained himself, his attention diverting away from the sisters for the time being. Earlier, he had felt so energized by the voices of those that still held a certain respect for him, despite everything that had happened before. There had been so many things that he wanted to tell these supporters, things that would contradict what they were saying about him. Some of it he had let slide, only because he didn't want others to know of what things that didn't concern the public. Yet, every time he did, he closed his mouth and let the thoughts go, figuring there was no point in changing another's mind. There was no need to give people any more reason to hate him, even if they would disregard his words of change.

There was a slight tug at his arm, Johnny looking down at Gino with a concerned look on his face. The boy had his eyes closed, his head still leaning against his arm but his hands were wrapped around his father's wrist. Johnny nudged his son, Gino's head moving up and his purple eyes opening. He smiled weakly, not really intending on falling asleep at the Ball even though he felt like he couldn't keep his eyes opened. When they left for wherever they would sleep for the night, then he would get some rest and fall into a dreamless sleep. Until then, he would remain awake as best as he could.

"If he wants to be powerful again, why doesn't he do what he did before?" Someone asked within the ring of people that stood around him. Johnny lifted his head slightly, turning it around to try to locate the source of the voice. It didn't take him long to find the owner of the voice, who was being given looks and waves of hands to keep her quiet. There were a few sideways looks towards Johnny himself, looks that indicated that they were afraid of what would happen to them if he heard the words that the Gaian had spoken. He held no more power then Gino had memories, but he was still a person of big size and that was more then enough for people to hold their tongue in his presence. Intimidation was something that had come naturally to him, even at a young age.

His eyes moved away from them, his mouth moving open slightly. Truth be told, he had thought of something like that, trying to regain what he lost through what he had done before to get his riches and power. That had been hard work, when he was much younger then he was at the moment and ideas of what he wanted, even if those ideas were farfetched at the time. But, those thoughts had been before Christmas, when he did not have Gino back with him and the thoughts of regaining his past riches had all but been forgotten. Now they came rushing back to him, something that he wished he could have started much sooner.

"You are absolutely right!" Johnny shouted, his eyes lighting up with the idea. "Rather then spend time wallowing in self pity, I shall work to regain my power. If anything, I'll do it for Gino. His pour soul...."

He stopped just as quickly he had started, looking back down at Gino, who had let go of his wrist and had started to move away from his father. Others had done the same at the sudden outburst of the person that they supported, more then scared at the outburst then anything else. Gino still had the glazed-over eyes, his face still as lifeless as it had been just a few moments before but held a small spark inside of it. He was there physically, but there was no emotional comprehension on his face that tied him to his father. Johnny didn't know if it was because of the amnesia or if it was because of everything that he, himself, had done to the boy before Halloween. Regardless, he was going to get his son fully back to him once again.

"Who's with me?" Johnny asked his supporters, who started to look at each other with worry in their eyes. A few others had wandered over, to see what the commotion was all about and why the fallen man had started to raise his voice when he had been so quiet before this moment. "These Von Helson sisters cannot be good for Gaia!"

His voice was growing louder, so much so that a few others stopped by where the group of supporters were staring up at him, wondering what this man was thinking. Johnny found that he didn't care who heard them or what they thought, the mere thought that he could regain the power he lost so easily now was so loud in his mind. If the sisters heard him, or even thought to look in his direction, then all the better. That would give him enough reason to come face-to-face with them again and settle a score that had been years in the making and that he would not go down as quietly as they thought he would.

The worried looks around him soon became excited, as those that were sitting on the floor started to stand and chat between themselves in a quick manner. Several had started to gesture towards Johnny, having more then a gut feeling that something was going to happen during the Ball, more so then they did when they first entered the mansion hours ago. Others were not so sure on his rise back to power, asking themselves just how he was going to do it without so much as a handful of gold to his name. That didn't bother him as much as it had before, the mutters of his downfall and the accusations that he couldn't do it again. If anything, it helped him.

Those that were more supportive of him then others, those that were beginning to become more excited at the prospect that they could do something to help him, started to make offers that they wouldn't have made to anyone else. They offered what clothing they had on them, items that they had in safes back home that could be sold for thousands of gold pieces, what gold they had on them at the moment, and a few services that made Gino blush at the mention of them. Johnny waved those offers off for the time being, seeing the willingness to help a man in need in their faces. There was no reason for them to help him; if he could do it himself once before, then he could do it again.

There was a certain gleam in his eyes that left behind the dull look that had been in them before, one that told his supporters that, slowly, the old Johnny K. Gambino was coming back to them. The excitement in their voices as they chattered around him, the energy that came from their bodies, made him feel more alive then he had before. Even Gino's face seemed to lift up from it's gloom, despite his eyes still lacking the recognition in them. If his father could bring back those faded memories, then he wouldn't need anything else that Gaia held in it.

It was only when a trio of partygoers wandered slowly by the increasing excited ness of the group, did Johnny's face turn from a hopeful look to an surprised stare. He did a double take as the three went by, his eyes darting down from their smug looks, to the pins that were upon their clothing. There was a recognition in seeing those pins, the same exact ones that the Von Helsons had always worn in public places. He knew what they were and how these three managed to get it without so much as a question raised to the hands that had given them the trinkets. Why was another matter, as only a small number of people inside the mansion knew anything about the Von Helsons; the rest held no protests at siding with those that had more money then they did and hallow promises that would never be followed through.

"I'll tell you what," Johnny said, turning back to his followers, who had noticed the quiet tone that had befallen him again. "I may have some small trinkets left over from last year. I'll try and get them to you if I can, but it's a long way back to Gambino Isle from here."

That was the truth; it was a long way from the city to the island. It didn't make it any easier to know that he would have to leave the Ball and take the time to go from one place to the other, and then back again with boxes of small, golden pins with the letter G upon them. He knew he still had some left, from when some had mysteriously shown up the year before without his knowledge. That had given him reason to suspect that someone in the Gaian population, someone that wasn't familiar with the layout of his former mansion, had broken into one of the hidden storage rooms, taken them out, and proceeded to give them to everyone.

Johnny had figured the mystery out eventually, the blame going upon his very own son. There had been harsh words said to the boy, but not to place blame upon him. No, it was more along the lines of having to wait until his father told him to hand them out to the Gaians that had gathered. It didn't matter, really, when the pins had been handed out; it was enough that his son had the nerve to go behind his father's back and do something that he wasn't supposed to do just yet. Despite his anger in his voice, there had been a certain level of proudness in his eyes that day, something that Gino had overlooked.

"For now, let's just spread my name. Let it be heard around all of Gaia in it's former glory!" He called to his followers, his grip on his shoulders strengthening. Cheers were given in response, something that made him beam. He had thought that there hadn't been anyone else in Gaia to give him support, the group around him proving him wrong. Until a way presented itself to get back to the island, telling everyone about his rise back into power would have to do for the time being.

****

If Johnny had thought that the sisters wouldn't have been able to hear his voice from over the crowded ballroom before, he did now as Marie looked over the heads of the crowd, her arms crossed over her chest. She frowned at the sight of the small crowd that had gathered around him, egging him on as he shouted things that she couldn't understand. It didn't matter what he was saying, but rather what he was trying to do. Credit had to be given to him for the ability to get some attention towards himself and away from the sisters, but it wasn't enough to deter everyone around them.

She didn't know how he had managed to get into the mansion, with all the security that was around. There had been checks and double checks of all the entrances to the mansion; even the front door had at least two armed guards standing there, keeping tabs on all who entered. Marie figured Gambino had come into the ballroom prior to the guards taking up their posts by the doorway, before they had the chance to kick him out. That was something else she had to give him credit for: keeping himself quiet enough to avoid enough detection by the sisters and security alike, unlike what he was doing now.

"Did you know you can make your voice funny if you inhale the stuff that's in these balloons?" Anna's voice asked from next to her. Marie moved her head away from Gambino and his followers, glaring at her sister who held one of the last blue balloons that they couldn't give out to the flocks of sheep. Anna moved a well-manicured hand over the balloon, Marie sighing and rolling her eyes as she turned back to where Gambino stood.

"I think we have more important things to worry about then what the inside of balloons can do to our voices," Marie said coldly, pointing towards the group of Gaians that were along the far wall of the room. Anna looked up from the balloon to see where her sister was point, her nails digging into the balloon when her eyes fell onto the one that was Marie's focus. Squeaks came from where her nails dug into the balloon before it popped, nearby Gaians jumping at the sound of the now deflated balloon.

The sisters ignored the looks the Gaians were giving them, Marie lowering her arms to her side as Anna gestured to a pair of security guards nearby to follow them. They started for the wall where their rival for attention stood, pushing past partygoers without even bothering to look at them. There was a hush that went around the ballroom, as nearly all those that were present moved their eyes upon where the sisters were going. Low mutters were heard as they moved out of the forest of people, some of which gladly moved out of the way while others had to be pushed away by the guards. Marie and Anna stood there, watching the surprised expressions of Gambino followers look up at them, not expecting the duo to have noticed their gathering.

"My my, what is this?" Anna asked, looking around at the faces of the Gaians. They had stopped what they were doing, looking as though they were deer caught in headlights. It took them a moment to regain the ability to move, as they made a path to allow the sisters a clear view of who they were really after. Johnny stood firm where he was, his hands upon his son's shoulders as he stared a deadly glare at the sisters. The feelings of hatred were mutual between both parties, despite the bewildered looks upon the other Gaian's faces.

"How dare you try and steal our thunder!" Marie growled at him. "Lets see how you deal with this, Gambino. Get him out of my sight."

She motioned to the two guards to take him away, smiling as sweetly and fakely as she could at Johnny's angry face. There was more then the reason of taking the attention away from the sisters, that made her gesture the security into this action. She didn't want him in the mansion to look through anything that could be used against them; both sisters knew that he was one of the two only other people in the mansion that knew the layout of it just as well as they did. If he got any evidence that supported the claim that there was a bigger picture then there already was, then they would be more then ran out of Gaia again.

They were glad that, as the security dragged Gambino towards the entrance of the mansion, that the group of followers had started to blend back in with the crowd. If they could forget about him long enough, then they would have a slightly bigger following then they already did. What they didn't know was, that forgetting someone like Johnny K. Gambino was harder said then done.

****

Johnny felt the strength of the two security guards in their hands along, as he was pulled towards the doorway of the mansion. He wasn't surprised that he was being thrown out of the Ball, none the least, but what surprised him was that Anna and Marie hadn't bothered to even attempt to take Gino away from him. The boy was following the guards as one pushed one of the doors of the front entrance open and proceeded to throw him out. Johnny stumbled backwards, Gino squeezing by the guards as he looked over his shoulder at them.

"I CAN FEEL IT! GAMBINO!" Johnny shouted into the mansion just as the doors closed in his face. He hoped that someone heard his voice from outside in the cold, where he now stood with his son. Gino moved his head from the doorway, shivering in the coldness that had befallen the mid-February day. His dead, emotionless eyes looked sadly at his father, who sighed and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. Total comfort couldn't be brought to his son, not when there was nothing in that comfort to help.

There was truth to his words that he had spoken only a few minutes earlier, as the two walked down the steps of the Von Helson mansion. He would get his power back, more so for his son then anything else. It pained him to see the look that was on his face, now that everyone else could see it as well. There would be conversations on how Gino looked at the Ball and to why he seemed so vegetable-like. Johnny knew that the quietness Gino showed to people was only because he was in a strange place, standing by a strange person, and attention being brought to him and he didn't know why.

There was a bright side to this, small as it were: this had given him the opportunity to go back to the island and get the remaining pins that he had himself. If the sisters could sway people by giving out cheep knockoffs, then so could he.

**Until Next Time**


	6. Chapter 5: Out of the Ashes

A Story For The Ages

**Part Two:** _Regaining Memories_

**Written By:** _Armina Qi Saxton_

**Standard Disclaimer:** _See Prologue_

Chapter Five: _Out Of The Ashes_

It hadn't been long since the guards had thrown Johnny and Gino out, yet the Ball went on as planned as if nothing had happened. It seemed that those that had actually taken notice of his short-lived appearance had, in fact, gone back to what they had been doing prior to the small commotion, like they had been in a haze and had finally snapped out of it. Others hadn't even noticed that someone had been thrown out at all, as they had been in a different part of the mansion at the time, or had ignored it completely. It wasn't what they had come to the Ball for in the first place, rather to have fun and get some free items while they were there. They could sell what they didn't want later, at the Marketplace, to those that hadn't been able to attend the Ball at all and for a bigger profit then what they were actually worth.

Then there were others that looked around, out of place and wondering if the one that they followed would be coming back. They wanted him to come back, more so to keep an eye on the boy rather then his father, although they would not be one to object to get close to Johnny once again. Some of the following had left, to see if they could catch a glimpse of the duo but found that they could not locate them anywhere in the city or anywhere close to it. If Johnny was still dragging Gino around in Durem, then he had done a damn fine job of lurking in the shadows and moving down back alleys to stay out of the public eye until he could get back to the mansion that once sat by the sea.

But there were two that had other things on their minds then Johnny Gambino, two that stood completely away from the rest of the crowd and wanted little to do with the sheep, as they called the Gaian population. They stood in the shadows of the left staircase that stood near the entrance of the ballroom, their eyes watching those that danced and mingled in the center of the room, all the while casting glances up at those that were descending and ascending the stairs above them. One of the shadows that stood in the darkness, cursed herself for not roping off this particular staircase.

If one would look closely enough from above the stairs, they would recognize these two shadows as the Von Helson Sisters. Whether or not others cared if they were there was not the point, or if they wondered why the two hostesses were standing back, out of the limelight they so much wanted. That was the least of their worries at the moment, on a long list of things that made them more nervous then they had been before. Although they didn't want anyone to see them, they moved their heads out from the shadows every few moments, as if they were looking for someone in particular, in the crowd of people they hardly cared about, if they did at all. Marie frowned at something as she moved her head back into the darkness of the stairs, looking more then a bit angry that their business was not yet finished.

And that business was late, despite the earliness of the night. Both were nervous about the meeting with a stranger that held something they wanted---more then wanted, needed. And they needed it desperately, if they hoped to pull off anything in the future. If this stranger had somehow managed to get himself killed in the time they had requested his services and the Ball, and there was a surprising small amount of people who most likely would have done the deed, then it was all over with. He could get himself killed after everything was over, if such a possibility existed or he allowed his guard down for a single moment. They had heard things about this stranger, things that made them shudder with those passing thoughts.

"Can you not stay still?" Marie growled from the shadows, to the other that shared the same space as her. Anna didn't seem to hear the impatience in her voice, nor sense the uneasiness that was around her. If she had, then she would have stayed a bit quieter then she was, humming a popular song as she swayed to the dance music.

"I can," She pouted coldly, crossing her arms over her chest. She was just as tired of waiting as her sister, but there was something that she didn't like about waiting underneath the stairs for someone they didn't even know. Perhaps it was because of the rumors that were going about this man, despite their policy on rumors: don't believe until it is proven true. Or maybe it was because they were worried about the items that were being delivered to them, would be intercepted by someone else. That was the last thing they needed.

Before Marie could comment on Anna's words, something moved past them, back into the same shadows they shared together. Anna shuddered at the sudden drop in temperature in their corner, her head turning over her shoulder to see what had come into their space. She saw movement behind them, something glinting in the little light there was that filtered from the stairs, a soft breathing echoing in the confines of the small space. Marie turned around, a soft smile on her lips as her eyes darted around the darkness. She knew someone was there, but couldn't see that person that had dared to be in their space; regardless, she knew it was the one they were waiting for.

"Ah, it arrives. You took your time," Anna muttered, turning around fully. "You are Labtech X, are you not?"

"He delivers the package, he shall await payment," The shadow said faintly, almost to the point that they could barely hear him, ignoring the question Anna asked. He seemed distance, out of their reach even, as though he wasn't really there. It didn't matter, so long as he had what they wanted. "Crisp, unmarked bills, in 50 and 100 increments only. To be delivered to my assistant, who awaits under the largest oak tree on the north lawn."

Something small and rough was thrusted towards them, brushing up against Anna's outstretched hands. She took it shakily, her eyes moving over the package, surprised at how light it was and that it wasn't bigger then her own two hands. Looking up, she stared into the eyes of the stranger and felt as though everything had drained from her body, all emotions, all feelings, everything. The mysterious eyes looked back at her in the shadows, cat-like and narrow underneath the dark glasses he wore. They held something in them that made even Marie shiver, as she glanced down at the package Anna held. It was small, lightweight, yet exactly what they wanted from him. The rest of Gaia didn't need to know what secrets they had, not any more then they needed to know.

"You shall get your money," Anna replied simply, pulling the package against her chest protectively. They didn't need to have it snatched right back, nor were they intent on paying in full. At least, not until their unnatural deeds were carried out.

"If we need you, we'll contact you," Marie spat when the figure did not move, if he hadn't already. They hadn't even noticed that he had entered their corner until they heard his breathing and felt the coldness around them. How long he had stood there before they knew he was there, they did not know.

"I've done my part. I will not risk my life any further," Came a hoarse whisper, then the warmness from the ballroom came back to them just as quickly as it had left. He was gone, gone from their sight and their senses. Neither knew if the person that they had done a deal with, was actually a being of the same plane as they were. Was it a ghost, imagined by the spiked punch? Or was it something else entirely?

Still, both Anna and Marie shuddered at something, Marie turning back towards the ballroom. Everything seemed louder then it had before, as though the laughing, the music, the conversations---everything---had died down while the mysterious figure had been around them. Nothing had changed in the room, as it had in their hidden corner. Had anyone else noticed that there had been someone there, with the twin shadows that lurked in the darkness? Or had they ignored it, as they ignored everything else?

It didn't matter to them now, as they had what they wanted and everything would come full circle. It was only a matter of time before their plans would be complete and they wouldn't have to worry about it any longer. Nothing could stand in their way, nothing that wouldn't be killed on the spot. Not even those that knew they were there, planning, waiting, watching.

****

Street lights had started to flicker on from the well-paved streets of Durem to the cobbled roads of Barton, lighting the way for those that were wandering the streets at such an hour. A light rain had started to fall only minutes before, a low rumble in the distance indicating a approaching storm. The cool wind from the northwest bore down upon the few that were wandering the streets of the city, the town, and even as far away as the port, slanting the fine mists of water that dropped from the sky. It was as though the rain were the tears cried by the goddesses and the angry boom of thunder the wraith of the gods that sat on another plane of existence.

The few that wandered the streets at this hour, walked quicker then they had before, not intending on getting caught up in the rain should it start to pour. Only two seemed to not have noticed the beginnings of a February storm as they walked towards the Port of Gambino, intent on getting where they were going. They were tired of walking the long distance from the city to the island, both wishing that there was a better way to get back to the island then walking around the places in-between before heading back along the same route. Still, the purpose of going back to the island was greater then the soreness in their legs.

Johnny ran a hand through his hair as he walked along the dirt path, feeling the wetness the rain brought against his flesh. He hadn't wanted to return to the island this night, hoping he would have been able to do it in the morning when he had more energy. If he remembered correctly, most of Gaia's events lasted at least a day or more, if possible and depending on how many Gaians showed up. His trek back into the island, then back to the city again, in the morning would have been just making it at the end of the Ball. That would have given him only a little while to hand out the few G-Pins he had from the year before, the pins that he had thought he had needed more then the normal amount of party favors. He hoped the place he had put them in, was still open for him to get them from. Even if it wasn't, he still had ways to get in without setting off any alarms.

He felt alone, despite Gino walking beside him. He wasn't all there, not even when he spoke, ate, and even slept. Johnny had to smile at his son often, hoping that he heard his words, felt his touch when placed his hands on the boy's shoulders, and saw the tears that came down his father's cheeks. If he knew how rare it was for this man to cry in front of him, if there was any recognition of his father or anyone that was around him, then he would have known that there was more then just anger in him. He would have been happy to see the loving looks his father had and most likely would have cried himself.

He was only a few paces away from the long, round docks of the port, when he felt a tug at his left arm. Johnny stopped and looked down, staring into the distant eyes of his son. Gino looked so tired, so pale in the moonlight, that it seemed like he would fall over if he took another step. His eyes were dull, even when they were half closed, and his body slumped slightly as the leaned his forehead onto his father's arm. He was tired and was more then ready to fall asleep where he was standing. Johnny didn't blame him; he, himself, was tired, but had to push his body to get to where he was going. There was more then one thing at stake this night.

"Can I go to sleep now?" Gino asked softly, placing his arms around his waist. Johnny put a comforting arm around his son and brought him closer, wishing he could tell the boy to sleep soundly for one night.

"We're almost to the island. I'll carry you the rest of the way, okay?" He answered just as quiet, wishing he could do more then that for his son. Gino just nodded sleepily into the arm he had latched onto, content on staying where he was although he wouldn't object to be carried to any places in the Gaian Territories. He pulled Gino into his arms then picked the boy easily as if he was nothing but a lifeless twig. Johnny was surprised at how light Gino was, as if he was just a feather out of a pillow. Gino didn't seem to notice his father's worried expression as he wrapped his arms around his neck and placed his head upon the man's shoulder.

Johnny felt torn at this point, on settling Gino down and falling asleep for the night, or bringing back support from those at the Ball. He bit his lower lip, glancing down at his son, as Gino closed his eyes and sighed contently. He was happy where he was, even at the cost at not having a roof over his head and a light rain falling down. There was nothing more that he could do to make his child feel comfortable, not until he could regain his riches again and make sure that he did not go hungry again. It was a decision that he didn't want to make, not when there were so many things, more then one life even, at stake this night.

Then a smile came to his lips, his head moving up towards the island, his eyes lighting up as though an idea had been formed. He had time to get the G-Pins, get back to the Ball, and allow Gino to sleep for an hour at the least. It wouldn't be much, but at least it was something.

****

The Ball had dragged on for what seemed like days, with hardly any excitement breaking in from the usual party atmosphere. There were several fights that had broken out, partly due to the lack of party favors that had been handed out in less quantities, now that the majority of the Gaian population already had more then they needed. It seemed like the sisters hadn't planned on so many people attending that they had simply run out of things to give out, but secretly they had intended for a limited supply. It gave them something to chuckle about, as they watched the squabbles being broke up by security and more then a handful of people being thrown out the large doors of the mansion.

The only other exciting thing to happen, was the random appearances by the Gaian Council as they attempted to enjoy the night. They smiled at those that had waved at them, hardly looking interested in the screams for autographs and to have many Gaian's children. They were used to the heightened interest in those that ran Gaian and her Territories, having more then enough to do without the clamor of people. The sister's security had doubled their efforts to keep those from the Council happy and intact as much as possible; despite this they still kept their own security behind them and for more then a small handful of reasons.

Edmund watched this from across the ballroom, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the wall. He frowned at the sight of the Gaian population that was in front of him, almost to the point that he would start feeling sick. It wasn't the Gaians he was fully concerned about for the most part; it was the way they were allowed to roam the mansion without any set rules. It disgusted him that the sisters allowed strangers to go about as though the mansion was their own playground, putting a mess on top of an already bigger mess. Had the Ball been thrown at the Gambino mansion, if it were still standing up, there would have been none of this clamor up and down staircases and through rooms people had no business going into. Johnny would have seen to it.

"You look troubled," A voice said from next to him. Edmund turned his head to see Ruby standing next to him as though she had been there for more then several moments, a plastic cup of punch in her hand. "The sisters, I am sure."

"Partly," He answered, not able to bring himself to smile at Ruby's accuracy. "What brings you to the Ball? Who's taking care of Peyo?"

"I decided to have a mother's night out and left him with Logan." She dismisses whatever unanswered questions Edmund had left with a wave of her hand, a stern look coming upon her face. "What do you think of the Ball this year? I just want to know."

He rubbed his forehead, adverting his gaze from Ruby's face; the less time he spent looking into her eyes, the less he had to say. That wasn't what he was worried about, him telling his honest opinion on the Ball. It wasn't as though he was trying to hide anything from anyone, especially those that had wandered close by them, trying to see if they could get any information from the conversation without looking as though they wanted something. Him telling what he thought about the Ball wasn't what he was worried about. He didn't want to be there, his presence requested by the sisters personally; they had made sure that they had his word on coming. It wasn't much of a request, but rather a thread on his life he didn't show and stay at least a few hours, if not the whole day. Perhaps it was to make sure that he didn't suddenly try to help his 'friend' out in any way, or to keep him close by, for comfort.

"Very different from last year's," He answered simply, glancing over at Ruby. Instead of waiting for him to answer, she was looking elsewhere, out into the ballroom, at something else besides him. Edmund didn't bother to look where she was looking, frowning deeper then before. Ruby looked less interested in what he was saying and more interested in something else entirely. "Ruby, what's wrong?"

"Hmmm?" Ruby turned her head towards him, a faraway look on her face. She blinked her eyes when she saw the look Edmund was giving her, as though this was the first time she had seen him that night. "I though I saw something out of the corner of my eye. It might have been nothing but a stray balloon."

The tone of her voice told him otherwise, that it wasn't just a stray balloon but something else. Ruby seemed too distracted to be her normal, inquiring self, too distant to hound Edmund for any details she might have overlooked by her own wanderings. He knew this only by the way she wasn't staring at him intently and asking him round after round of questions which, half of them at least, he wouldn't have been able to answer or understand. Not because he couldn't understand them, some of them at least, but because he either didn't have the information or couldn't answer her fully, by promises long since kept.

He looked over the heads of the partygoers, carefully scanning over every corner that he was able to see. His eyes dropped to the faces of several Gaians, who didn't seem to notice that they were briefly looked upon by someone across the room nor did they care the slightest. Edmund's eyes only diverted for a second on their faces, moving right along the walls of the ballroom. There was nothing out of place that he could see, nothing that seemed odd or unusual that wasn't a part of the Von Helson mansion.

A coldness came over him, his breath catching in the sudden drop of temperature, shuddering at the coldness around him. He felt like he was near a doorway that lead outside, the coldness of the night seeping into the mansion, but it couldn't reach this far into the ballroom. Not unless all of the Gaians inside suddenly left, all the heat their bodies produced leaving with them. He looked around the ballroom again, his eyes sweeping over the faces of all those that he could see that didn't have their backs turned to him. Some seemed to feel the same coldness that Edmund felt, muttering angrily about heating inside the mansion to their friends.

Somehow, Edmund knew that the draft of coldness didn't have anything do to with the heating or the mansion itself or even a open door that didn't close all the way. There was something else there, something that was familiar but didn't know what and he wasn't about to find out what it was, his head turning back towards Ruby. A look of surprised came over his face when he saw that she wasn't there, having walked off somewhere else, perhaps to get away from the coldness that had come over the small corner of the ballroom. Others had done the same, finding little comfort elsewhere in the ballroom or further into the mansion.

Whatever the coldness was, it only lasted a few moments, lifting it's grip from the ballroom. The room had grown quieter in the moments of and after the coldness, low mutterings heard across the large ballroom. It soon regained it's volume within a few moments, as though it had not dropped down into quietness. That didn't disturb Edmund the least, but the drop in temperature had. He shuddered again, not from the nip in the passing air but at something else entirely.

Something that he wasn't willing to find out about.

**Until Next Time**


	7. Chapter 6: End Game I

A Story For The Ages

**Part Two:** _Regaining Memories_

**Written By:** _Armina Qi Saxton_

**Standard Disclaimer:** _See Prologue_

Chapter Six: _End Game I_

It was only a short time after he had been thrown out of the Von Helson mansion, did Johnny Gambino march up the same path that he had taken to get back to Isle de Gambino with Gino in tow. The boy didn't seem as tired as he had only a little while before, having rested for the time it had taken his father to get into the place that he had stored the spare G-Pins. Johnny had been surprised that there was someone there to let him into it, thinking that he had to break into it to get what he wanted, regardless of what would happen to him afterwards. That had put a smile on his lips and more then a few thanks to those that had helped him; his words of repayment weren't hallow, but they wouldn't come anytime soon. Not when he had nothing to his name except for the clothes on his back and the son that walked behind him, carrying several bags of the pins.

He had allowed Gino to sleep for a half hour more, as Johnny got everything that he needed together and in order. If he got everything ready before he went back to the mansion, then that was less he had to do in front of thousands of Gaians. Every few minutes he had looked over at his son, sleep soundly underneath the tattered cape he had taken off so that Gino would have something from the rain that had let up for the time being. The image of him sleeping on the wet ground, shivering in winter's cold, pulled at his heart and it took everything inside of Johnny to keep from breaking down and crying. Was this how Gino had lived right before he had come back to him during Christmas? Had he been scared and alone, without anyone to protect him? Johnny found that he was better off not knowing what his son went through during those two months then living with the knowledge of what had happened.

Now the two of them were in front of the mansion in Durem, looking up at it with determination. The large doors to the mansion, the main ones that everyone had entered earlier, were stead-fast and quiet, perhaps bolted together from the inside with no way of having a way in through the outside. Johnny stared at the doors for ten minutes, his face twisted in concentration on how he would get inside instead of using the man entrance and without alerting the sisters to his presence. They wouldn't be stupid enough to have this way into their home unlocked and unattended, not when there was a chance in all the hells that a Gambino would wander back into their home. Besides, he didn't want to attract immediate attention to himself, not until he got into the ballroom.

"How are we going to get inside?" Gino asked, setting the bags of G-Pins down upon the ground. He seemed to have the same exact thoughts, that there was no way they would be getting back into the mansion through the main entrance. Johnny looked at him, measuring Gino's size to that of a small window; he was small and light enough to get inside, but his father would have a harder time getting inside then Gino would. If I remember the layout of the mansion correctly..., Johnny thought absently, turning his back to his son for a moment, trying to think of other ways to get inside without alerting security to his presence right away.

Then he smiled, motioning to his son to follow him as he picked up one of the bags of pins, not wanting his son to have to carry both bags all the way around the mansion. If he did remember how the mansion was set up, then there had to be a doorway to the lower kitchens behind the mansion itself, with a small alley behind it. This was how he had managed to sneak his late wife back home many years before, when they both had come home from late-night parties and didn't want to wake anyone up from them coming inside.

If there was anything that he had forgotten since the last time he had gone around to the back of the mansion, it was how long it seemed to take him just to get to the other side of it. Before, he was younger and thinner then he was now, having been able to walk from city wall to city wall without having to break a sweat. By the time he had actually found where the mansion broke off and the wall of the city began, Johnny was out of breath and ready to sit down to catch it. Leaning against the wall of the mansion, he took in several breaths, looking up towards the sky that held so many dark clouds that covered up the light. What little moonlight could break through the storm clouds, the last bit before the sun would soon rise from it's slumber, shone down upon his face and onto the boy that stood next to him, staring behind him to see if anyone had bothered to follow them.

If anyone had seen them walk to the back of the mansion, then they most likely would have alerted the security at this point and anyone else that might be interested in their movements. And Johnny didn't seem to care if anyone knew he was back at the mansion or not, now that he was nearly inside, as he pushed himself from the wall and clenching the bag tightly. He wasn't going to let a momentary lapse of tiredness overwhelm him, not when he could taste the power returning to him already. He had to regain the power he once held, if not for anything but Gino. That was his concern, ,his son and only his son, even if others thought he was just blinded by the return to power.

"Wait here," He instructed, holding a hand up to halt Gino before Johnny or the boy had moved. He inched his way the last foot to the alley behind the mansion, carefully making sure that there were no surprises on the other side. He wasn't about to take any chances on having something, or someone, jump out from the darkness of the alley and catch them unawares. He stared into the darkness, squinting to see if anything was there, then turned his head over his shoulder. "Come on. It's okay."

Gino didn't say anything, dragging the other bag of pins with him as he followed his father around the corner to one of the few secret entrances to the Von Helson mansion that was not kept inside the family. Johnny moved a hand along the back wall of the mansion, creeping along in case he missed anything at all, any doorways that lead inside, or anything else that might have left his memory. It took him a moment of slow movement to find the doorway that lead into the lower kitchens, a smile coming upon his lips as he touched the cool metal. This was a small victory for him, one that could only be hindered slightly by the door being locked. If it was, he knew where to look for a key, if it was still there or had been broke in any way. It had been a long time since he had used this entrance in his younger years, but that did not mean others had not found the key that had been hidden there so long ago.

Johnny turned the know to the kitchen doorway, then cursed loudly. It was locked, much to his disappointment and anger. This was one of the times, in the last few months, that something wasn't barring him from entering the Von Helson mansion. Still, he had one trick up his sleeve, one that he hoped was there and not just a faded memory.

****

Inside the mansion, the Ball started to move into the final stretch. It was early on the day after the creation of Gaia and many Gaians were more then worn out from dancing and doing other things that need not be mentioned. Some had collapsed into one of the many spare bedrooms that the mansion held, eventually woken by friends or others that had no other place to go do deeds that they didn't want the public to see or, if they were more unlucky then some, prodded awake by security. These well-muscled men, who seemed to have the same nature as those that made sure Gaia was kept as orderly as possible, had pulled these certain ones out of the room and back into the hallway, some muttering on orders of the sisters. Others were thrown into the bathtub, to wake them up with cold water or to cool them down; either way, it was a rude awakening for them.

There were some that had left already, too tired to do anything but walk the distance back to their homes and fall asleep wherever they could. They did not bother to undress out of the clothing that they wore, other then to let go of their balloons and to take off the V-Pins they wore, if they had not smashed the small items already or had not gotten them. Even so, they would hear what happened at the end of the Ball on the news or from whoever had seen it to the end; either way, they would know what excitement they missed only moments after they left.

And that excitement came in the form of someone unlocking the door to the lower kitchen, someone who had made sure he could get inside without being noticed. It only took a matter of a few moments to enter, with bags full of small items that would soon break Gaia into three different groups. That was something he knew was going to happen, as a smaller figure entered through the same doorway that closed once he and the bag he carried was safely carried inside. Neither one bothered to lock the door behind themselves, for they would not need to be coming back into the mansion that night or any night afterwards.

Johnny put an arm in front of Gino to stop him when they walked halfway into the room, casually looking around the brightly-lit kitchen. It was unusually calm for someone to be having a party, something he hadn't thought about until he had stopped. There was a mess of leftover food, bowls, and cooking items left around the normally neat kitchen, indicating that there had been someone cooking the food earlier. When they had cooked it and if they were going to be making anything else for what little time was left of the Ball, he didn't want to stay and find out as he beckoned his son to follow him the rest of the way out of the kitchen.

The noise from the ballroom, as well as loud thumping sounds coming from upstairs, indicated that the Ball was still in full swing, despite the little time remaining. Johnny didn't quicken his pace, a satisfied smile on his lips. So far, he had managed to go unnoticed by security, which only heightened his sense of pride. Here he was, on the first beginnings of regaining his power, and the Von Helsons did not even have an inkling that he was back inside their mansion, having gone through an entrance that no one thought would pose any problems for them.

Even so, he had to be careful as to not arouse the suspicions of the sisters like before, as he moved along the lower hallways of the mansion, some passing Gaians looking at him with surprise as he passed. They stood where they were as he passed them, mouths hanging open and eyes wide as though they had seen a ghost. How he had managed to get back inside the mansion without the sisters knowing was beyond them, as he gave them a smile and a wink as he went by. His return to the mansion would remain a mystery until they could find the time to solve it.

One of the Gaians he passed along the way, a young lady no more then the age of seventeen and looking up at him with wide eyes, he stopped right in front of. She didn't seem to want to move, even though neither Johnny, Gino, or the Gaian were in each other's way. His eyes went down quickly to the top of her dress, where a completed silver V-Pin was upon the cloth. Johnny frowned, hardly noticing that he had reached down into the bag and pulled out a G-Pin.

"Why would you want a V-Pin when you can have this lovely G-Pin instead?" He didn't wait for the Gaian to respond to his question, pushing the G-Pin into her hand and striding the rest of the way into the ballroom, Gino still in tow. The Gaian stared after him, then looked down at the pin that had been roughly shoved into her hand. Unlike the pin that she wore, she didn't even need to have to spend hours upon hours, searching for both halves. But, unlike some of those that were at the Ball, she placed it into her handbag and walked away, intent on making a profit off of it at another date.

Johnny looked around the ballroom as soon as he entered from one of the side doorways that lead from it, his eyes scanning almost the entire room. It was slightly less crowded then it had been when he had first arrived at the Ball, but there were still plenty of Gaians mingling around, attempting to dance and hold conversations at the same time. He felt positive that a good portion of his followers were still there, waiting for him to return, but he didn't expect some of them to stay. After all, they didn't know if he was going to try and come back to the mansion or if he had other plans in mind. Either way, they would hear about it after the madness of the Ball was over.

Several Gaians that were stuck along the wall closest to the doorway that Johnny was slowly walking away from, slightly turned their heads towards him as he began to reach into the bag for more of the G-Pins. They did a double-take when they looked back, as though a ghost had just wandered into the ballroom. There were low mutters from these that had noticed his return, some poking those that were next to them and pointing in the direction that Johnny had gone into. Their friends didn't believe them, having not the ability to locate the man that had been thrown out of the mansion before. It was only when a voice rose over the conversations, did their disbelief turn into excitement.

"Fellow Gaians, rejoice! We will be victorious!" Johnny shouted over the heads of those that stood in front of him. There was a wild look in his eyes, a look that indicated that a glimmer of power had returned to him. He heard the cheers of those that supported him, the silence of those that were more then just a bit confused, and a hiss of boos from those that did not wish to see him there. Regardless, he welcomed anything, even a chair to stand upon so he could look across the entire room. "I am determined to regain my former glory, for Gino!"

If there had been any indication that the boy had been in a vegetable state before, all doubts were erased that he was when he shrunk down and tried to hide himself behind several tall Gaians that were standing in front of him. Johnny didn't seem to notice as a group of Gaians rushed forwards and started to chat quickly, on how glad they were to see Johnny and that Gino looked better then he had when they had first come to the Ball. G-Pins were placed quickly into the hands of those that were praising him, the first wave of pins to be released since the year before. These supporters, those that had spread his name and stood by him, would be the first to be rewarded with this small item.

He would get his loyal supporters more once he was able to get his power and riches back and his son's memory returned, that he was sure. It was just enough now that he was beginning to feel the effects of his return and the words of his supporters as he started to throw any remaining G-Pins he held in his hand into the crowd like confetti. These were safe to throw, he had made sure of it when they were first made a year prior. He didn't want anyone to get hurt over them, a precaution he should have used later in the year.

But that was the farthest from his mind, as he lavished in the spotlight once again.

****

"Are you sure that no one broke it?" Anna demanded sourly at the head of security. The stubby man pushed up his thick glasses, glancing nervously down at the clipboard he held and looked back up at the twin sisters that stood in front of him. They stood near where the two staircases came down from one of the upper levels, near the main entrance of the mansion. A clap of thunder came from outside, the pattering of rain beginning as the early morning storm began to roll in. The sisters didn't seem to notice it as much as the man in front of him, who looked like he was about to pass out.

They had hired the man's services not only to have enough security in the mansion during the Ball, but also to install a better alarm system then what their father had in before. The previous system had been functioning well enough for the days that the sisters would be home alone, but it was not up-to-date as they hoped for events such as this, but this new system was already beginning to fail after it had been installed only days prior. It had started to short out at random for the last ten minutes, leaving the security team clueless as to what was going on inside the mansion.

"There is nothing wrong. Everything has been checked and double checked to make sure that it is working properly," The man said, smiling forcefully at them as he tried to lie his way through this situation. Truthfully, he was scared either one would jump him and start clawing at his skin if either one found out that there was something wrong somewhere; no matter how much he tried to get his shaking body to be still, he was still afraid of them.

"There has to be something wrong. Someone must of sabotaged the security system," Anna snapped back at him with cold eyes. If anything had added to her suspicions at that moment, it was in the form of what appeared to be a small, gold coin, rolling across the ground towards them. It hadn't come from a far source, as it twirled in small circles by Marie's foot, coming to a rest just after a glimmer of gold had caught her eye.

She looked down at the ground as Anna and the head of security continued to argue about the security system, a perplexed expression on her face as she bent over to pick up the gold piece. When she got a closer look, she found that it wasn't a gold piece but a finely crafted item, a pin to be more exact, in the shape of a 'G'. Marie frowned at it as she picked it up and straightened her back, moving her hand so that the pin laid neatly on her palm, her brow furrowing in rage. She looked up as several Gaians walked past, a glint of gold on their clothing instead of the silver that should have been there.

"G-Pins?" She asked more to herself then to anyone else. Anna stopped talking as though Marie had shouted the word, raising a hand up to silence the man in front of her as she stared at her sister in confusion. She walked the few steps that separated her sister from herself, looking down at the small object that was in her hand.

"Here?" Anna asked, surprised as she also looked towards the ballroom where their sheep were conversing. It took them no less then a minute to find the person that was handing out the pins, their anger rising as Marie clasped her hand around the pin as though she could crush it. Everything finally clicked together in their minds, a smile of anger coming upon their lips as they stood side-by-side, ready to walk out into the crowd and face him once again.

"We'll see about that," They said together, the smiles fading and a frown coming onto their fine features. They walked into the ballroom without any security around them, comfortable at the moment that they wouldn't need anyone to protect them at this time. As they walked towards the small crowd that had gathered around the man, their eyes darted towards a younger version of him, who was standing out of the circle, handing a pair of pins to a couple that were just passing by. He smiled at them as they left, looking quite content on helping his father out despite his back being turned on him.

But the sisters' eyes did not linger on the boy for long, as their stride started to quicken as they approached. They didn't feel as angry as they should have been when they saw him standing there as though he had not left at all, not even noticing that there was someone else approaching his circle. If Marie didn't read his facial expressions correctly, she thought she had seen a glint of happiness on it, like this was what he wanted. To be surrounded by people that were not in the same class as himself. She couldn't understand why someone would want to be surrounded by sheep who didn't deserve the time of day to be even looked at. That angered her more as she stopped at the outer edge of the crowd around him.

"You!" Marie snarled as soon as she was in range of Johnny's sight. She didn't care much on how he had managed to get back into the mansion this time, but he would go out the same way he had before. The only difference would be that he wouldn't have his son with him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Anna growled, surprised Gaians turning around at the sister's voices. Johnny's head snapped around, his eyes going wide when he heard their voices so close to him. His mouth hanged open slightly at them, several of his supporters moving out of the way in the sister's line of sight. They didn't want to be in the middle of the unknown feud if it got out of hand any more then it had.

He composed himself a second later, looking Marie straight in the eye without blinking. He wasn't so much as worried about Anna as he was Marie, hardly paying attention as to where the other sister was going or if she had left altogether. He didn't care, so long as both of them got out of his sight completely. They had their moments to gain supporters, now it was his turn to do so. The war between them had started before the rest of Gaia had any clue as to what was going on or why it was happening.

"I will not be silenced!" Johnny said when he saw the sisters motion to the security that kept an eye on the situation in the middle of the ballroom, calmly and loudly with a causal smirk on his lips. There was a cheer from his supporters, much to Marie and Anna's dismay and anger. These were the same Gaians that they had invited into their home and gave them a reason to talk about this event for years to come. They would talk about this one alright, but not in the way the sisters had intended for them to gossip amongst themselves about it.

Before either sister could growl any commands to the security that was slowly moving through the crowd, or to bark out any insults towards Johnny, a loud boom echoed from outside, with a pounding from above that pattered on the rooftop. The storm had come, the light around the mansion flickering several times. Several conversations had stopped completely at the motions of the lights, not even taking in consideration the brewing storm outside. They ignored it completely, as they had the storm that was brewing inside. If the lights went out, there would be more then two angry people in the mansion this day.

And out the lights did go.

**Until Next Time**


	8. Epilgoue: End Game II

A Story For The Ages

**Part Two:** _Regaining Memories_

**Written By:** _Armina Qi Saxton_

**Standard Disclaimer:** _See Prologue_

**Epilogue:** _End Game II_

The lights had only went out for a moment or two, perhaps even longer then that, but it was just long enough for Johnny to grab what he thought was his son's wrist and pull him towards the main entrance to the mansion. There were screams coming from inside the ballroom, shouts of frustration from the top floors, and quietness from certain patches everywhere else. It didn't matter where someone was, or why they were inside the rooms they were in, but they knew something was up and they wanted a piece of the action before it passed them by.

He didn't want to leave when there was so much other things to be done, but he found that he had worn out his welcome in the mansion this night. If he stayed any longer, he might just find himself in the middle of something larger then what he had expected to be in. There would be other times that he could more support for himself and Gino, when it didn't involve worrying about being thrown out by security that had more strength in one arm then he did in his whole body. He also didn't want any harm to befall Gino, not now, not ever.

His escape was short lived, however, as the lights returned to the mansion and the ability to see gave way to more then just the view of the main entrance. Johnny was only a few feet away from the large double doors, when he skidded to a stop and stared at what was in front of him. No less then ten muscled men were standing in front of the doorway, blocking anyone from moving from outside or inside the mansion. They stood there, their backs to the doorway and their eyes staring at the man who looked ready to leave the mansion again without much thought.

"That lousy Gambino managed to sabotage our little party," He heard Marie say from inside the other room, her voice booming from somewhere inside the ballroom. She must have had put on a microphone sometime during the few moments that the lights had gone out, but he didn't care. He wanted out with this son and hopefully anything else that he managed to get away with. "Somehow he figured out how to manipulate the security system---"

"But we've fixed that now. The party shall now continue. That is all," Anna's voice finished for her sister and the music that once had been playing before the blackout continued to play. Johnny muttered something under his breath about lies, although he couldn't help but smile at the idea of him being able to sabotage something like the security system.

"Get out of my way," Johnny growled at the security, glaring at the ones that were directly in his path. None of them moved, instead keeping themselves between his escape route and the rest of the mansion. They narrowed their eyes at him, keeping still and waiting to see if he would make a move on all of them. It was true that he was outnumbered and even his own size couldn't measure up to those that might just have been up against others twice his own weight. Even so, he started to wonder if he should have gone the same way that he had come in: through the kitchens and out the back door. It would have been simpler and few people would have thought to check the main entrance to see if he had gone that way.

After several minutes of seeing how he wasn't going to be able to get out this way, Johnny turned around and opened his mouth to say something to his son. As soon as he did, he realized that the person that he had pulled towards the entrance of the mansion was not, in fact, Gino, but someone that was giving him more then just a murderous glare. He let go of this Gaian's hand as she gave him one last glare and turned back towards the ballroom, stomping towards where others were wondering what was going on. Johnny felt frantic, trying to place where his son last was before a realization came over him. He couldn't have lost Gino during those few moments of darkness, not when he was right next to him the entire time. The only other thing that could have happened was him being taken away without his father's knowledge. That made him more then angry as he balled his hands together, trying to control his anger.

"This has gone too far," He hissed to himself, spinning around and running back towards the ballroom. His heart was beating rapidly, fear setting overtop anger as he tried to hide the franticness that he felt. He knew Gino hadn't been lost in the crowd when the lights had gone off, nor had he intentionally lost him. He knew someone had taken them and those someones would pay dearly for taking his son away from him.

He didn't have to go far into the ballroom to see that there was already a large circle of empty space where there used to be Gaians dancing, the music still going on but not a dancing tune. It was a more foreboding melody, one that he knew meant something else entirely. Johnny pushed his way through the crowd that was on the outer ridges of the empty circle, some moving out of the way to let him pass. The rest he roughly pushed aside, not caring if they gave him several names they wouldn't call anyone else or glares. He had more important things to worry about, namely finding his son.

And he knew that his son's captures were in the middle of the circle, just by the way Anna's cold, heartless laughter rang from inside of it. Johnny shuddered at it, the coldness in it replacing the coldness that he would have felt if he was outside in the cold, February weather. Anna had perfected that laugh by now and he hated that laugh; it made him wince every time he heard it and this time was no different.

"Silly Gambino!" She called out to him as soon as Johnny appeared from out of the forest of Gaians. Marie stood next to her sister, her arms crossed over her chest and a smile playing on her lips. Right behind both of them, Gino stood trembling, his eyes looking terrified and worried. There were two security guards behind him, to make sure that he didn't run away or that any of Johnny's supporters could kidnap him back. "You seem to be missing something."

"It ends here, Gambino," Marie said, staring daggers at him as Johnny took several steps towards the sisters. He was now shaking with rage, on the verge of running towards them with all his might and punching them both in the face. There was nothing they could do to him that would remotely harm him, but do anything to his son and all bets were off. That was the one thing they should not have dared done.

"Gino?" He called softly to him, making sure that the boy was still there, despite the fact that he could barely see him behind the sisters. Gino stood on his toes and looked over Marie's, his eyes going wide with a quick smile of happiness before Anna gave him a glare to move back down into a cowering position. Gino looked at her, cringing as though she was about to hit him as he took a step back away from him. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM?"

His voice was loud enough to echo across the ballroom and back again, so much so that those that were listening to the confrontation thought that there was more then one person shouting at the sisters. Those that had not been listening or even paying attention to what was going on in the middle of the ballroom, now had their full attention centered on what was going on. No one dared to breathe, as they watched what the sisters reactions would be. They knew not to dare confront a man that was the size of Johnny Gambino and knew more then that to mess with his son, despite the rumors they heard. Those that were the closest to the circle backed up as best as they could, trembling with more then a bit of excitement.

"You were so caught up with yourself that you neglected your own son," Anna said with a dirty smile, shaking her head. It was pitiful to her that a man like him would have left his son without any attention, although her own father had done the same to her and Marie more times then they could count. This was an opportunity to give Gino more then he could ever wanted or that anyone else could give him.

"What a pitiful man you are," Marie said tauntingly. "It just goes to further prove that you are a neglectful father."

Johnny stared at the sisters as their insults came full circle to him, his anger dying down. He knew that their words were the truth, that he could have down more with Gino instead of pushing him into the hands of caregivers that had come and gone with the years. Yet, he had a good reason for keeping his distance from his son, one that broke his heart just thinking about it. How he couldn't stand to see his son for the first two years of his life, how closely he now resembled his lost mother, how much he had wanted everything to change. That was the past now and he doubted anyone in the ballroom, or even the entire mansion, could understand what was going on inside his mind at the moment.

"No wonder Gino is a vegetable now and it's all your fault!" They shouted together once they saw that their insults had caused some effect on him. The words, like the ones that had been shouted by Johnny only moments before, echoed through the room. Everyone gasped, taking a step back and all eyes were upon Johnny, who was staring at the sisters and attempting to keep his emotions inside.

"M-my fault?" He whispered, his voice holding not it's usual tone. His eyes broke away from the sisters and moved to Gino, who was looking down at the ground. The boy was separated from the rest of the world, like he had been before even Halloween. Was this boy's amnesia his father's fault by his neglectfulness, or was it something else entirely?

Johnny's shoulders sagged slightly as he thought back to before Halloween, to the times after the Olympics and before. How he had cursed his son for not winning, for not doing the things that he had tried to teach the boy, and for ignoring everything. How his eyes looked when he stared up at his father, so tired, so worn and yet held a desire to make his father happy. How he had stopped walking when his father shouted his name from across the mansion, the scared look that came upon his face when he saw the anger in Johnny's own eyes. It was his fault, for not being a better father to him, for not trying to see past the features that held a painful reminder of what he had lost and trying to see the things that others had seen.

But, hadn't he tried to get past that since Christmas? Hadn't he been ready and willing to end his own life when he couldn't find Gino? Johnny had felt joy when Gino had stopped him from certain death, yet that joy had gone just as fast as it had come when he realized that the boy's memories were gone. That moment he had made a promise to himself that he would get those memories back, even if it killed him. Even if it was the last thing he would ever do.

"Darn you, Von Helsons!" Johnny shouted to them, his eyes flashing with the same anger that they had held before. The Gaians that stood behind him were surprised, just as Marie and Anna were, at the sudden outburst of anger towards them. They had thought they had broken him down to a point that he would have given up, but they were wrong. "What must I do to get my son back?"

Both Anna and Marie looked surprised at the question, as the looked at each other to see if they had any response to it. There was a cheer from his supporters across the ballroom, a chant of 'Gambino' starting to rise from them. Johnny dismissed any other comments made by those that no longer stood by him, defiant that he could win back his son without raising a hand to them or throwing any more insults towards anyone. At the end of the Ball, he would be walking out with his son and the support of others, with or without bringing the sisters down.

But he didn't know that they had something else up their sleeves, as they turned back to him with a smug smirk going across their lips. They knew he would do anything to get Gino back, even if it meant that he would have to die to do so. They only had to get him to choose between his son and his revolution, the revolution, they knew, being the more important thing rather then his son. They knew he would choose that, leaving Gino in their care rather then himself. That was their new plan, to show that the man in front of them cared more about gaining his power back then his own flesh and blood. That was the decision their father would have made, even if they did not like it.

"Oh, it's much simpler then you think, old man," Marie said lightly, laughing at the mere idea of showing the rest of Gaia on how cold-hearted this man really was. "All you have to do is---"

"---leave .And never come back to Durem again," Anna finished for her sister, her smirk broadening. Johnny opened his mouth to respond, then closed it just as quickly. He was faced with a decision that could make or break him. It was either his son or his gain back to power without him that the sisters wanted him to choose between, a decision that he didn't want to make.

"But, that would mean....." He started carefully, trying to get the sisters plan out in the open. "Never attending another event ever again."

Johnny stopped, his voice trailing off as he lingered between choosing something no one else would have taken this long to even think about. This would have caused those at the Ball to think that he was trying to weight what was more important, that he didn't care about Gino and that the last few months of trying to take care of him was just something to sway the Gaian population. Choosing his son would mean that he could still be with him, but all of the things that he had done, no matter how small, would have been for vain. Choosing to stay in Durem would allow him to regain what he had lost, but the shell of a son that stood apart from him would no longer be in his grasp. He couldn't live with that.

"The clock is ticking. What will it be?" Marie demanded, impatient that it was taking this long for him to decide.

"But what would my fellow Gaians think? Can I just abandon their support of me?" He whispered. Marie's face lit up when he spoke those words, a gleam of what was in store for the boy more then he could bare. "And, yet, Gino. My son. My reason for doing all of this to begin with."

That's when the realization hit Johnny, that he didn't have the need to choose between these two things. Gino was the reason that he was standing there at the moment, that he was still alive and doing everything in his own limited power to do regain something he had lost. His prior fortune had been easily obtained by hard work and dedication, something he could do again, no matter how long it took him. Perhaps, it in the process, Gino's memory would return to him and there wouldn't be a need to be as rich as he had been before. He was rich already, with his son with him even in the form he was in now. That was all he needed, to have Gino completely back to his normal self. Then he could start repairing the damage that had been done to the boy before he had lost his memories.

"Fine. I will leave and never return," Johnny said, loud enough for everyone to hear. There was another cheer behind him, this time from more then just his supporters. Even the ones that did not even have the slightest bit of respect for him, were relieved to know that he choose his son rather then trying to get his riches back. That could be done later, when everything had died down.

But the look on the sisters faces were priceless, as they stared at him in shock and disbelief. How could this man, the one that they had thought hadn't changed since the last time they had seen him, choose not the revolution he had started the night before? Their father would have done it and more then once, without a thought as to who he was hurting in the process. But here, here was a man that had stared them right in the eyes and choose not the riches he had wanted to get back, but his own son. They had thought that he would have chosen differently, but they were mistaken.

"We thought you'd see it our way," Both said together once they had composed themselves to a point that most of the shock had worn off. They stepped to the side, revealing his son to him.

Gino didn't move right away, looking between one sister and the other, wondering if he was allowed to leave their presence now. They didn't seem to care if he chose to stay where he was or go back to his father, both hoping that he would stay with them rather then go back out in the coldness of the winter's snap. He didn't feel comfortable around them, like he knew them just like his father knew them, and felt that, if he stayed with them, he wouldn't ever see the man again. Somehow, deep inside of him, that was not what he wanted as he took his first steps away from the sisters, ready for this event to be over. Then he broke out into a run and went into the arms of Johnny, who held him tightly.

"Security, get him out," Marie barked to the security guards that had once stood by the main entrance to the mansion. They turned their backs on them, walking over to the staircases as one of the guards took Johnny by the arm to escort him out. He snatched his elbow away from him, giving him a glare as he took Gino by the hand and started to walk towards the entrance. He stopped only for a moment and looked over his shoulder at the sisters, who were standing on the first stair and watching him leave with frowns. They were ready to make everyone leave, even though there was only a few moments left until the Ball was over with.

"Von Helsons, mark my words," He yelled to them as he was pulled towards the doorway. "I may not return to Durem, but you shall hear the name Gambino again."

Johnny knew that they heard him but whether they had heeded them or not was not his concern, as he was pushed forwards and out into the cold once again. The security that had pushed him out, stared at the man and boy for a moment, as if daring them to try and come back inside before turning around and walking away. The doors then slammed in his face for the second time in less then twenty-four hours, the sting of it feeling even worse then before. It wasn't because he had been kicked out twice in one day from the same place, but because this was the last thing he would most likely remember about Durem. Him being forced out of the mansion, out of the city, out of the only place he knew he could have regained any hope of power.

Now that was lost before it had even begun, before he had any chances of putting his grasp upon it. It didn't matter to him any more, whether or not his chances had dwindled next to nothing or ever returning to Durem, so long as he had his son with him. That was the most important thing he had now, more important then the power he had held before. He just needed a small reminder of how close he had come to losing his son once again.

Johnny sighed and turned around, walking down the steps of the mansion without a look back at it. At any moment, the doors would open again and a large mob of tired Gaians would be storming out from the day-long Ball. That wasn't something he wanted to be in the middle of, not when he had endured a crippling blow already. He didn't need to be laughed at any more then he already had; he had been insulted by the sisters in front of everyone and blamed for what happened to his son. Gino! He thought, suddenly stopping when he realized that his son wasn't by his side for the second time in less then a half hour. Where is he?

A soft weeping came from behind him, Johnny turning around to see Gino standing rigid by the stairs, his arms held straight down, hands baling into small fists, and head bowed down. He assumed the boy did not want his father to see him cry, his shoulders shaking with quiet sobs as Johnny walked up to him and kneeled in front of him.

"Gino, what's wrong?" He asked softly, placing a hand underneath Gino's chin and lifting his head up. Gino's eyes were beginning to become red form his crying, his cheeks puffy and tear stained; he couldn't look his father in the eyes, not even when they were face-to-face.

"I'm the reason that caused you to be kicked out of the mansion and the city," Gino whispered, choking on his words. There was a forceful tug at Johnny's heart, one with a sadness that he wished he could push away. He hated the look on his son's face, a look that told him that if there was any slight remembrance from the past, it had started to slightly come out.

"No, no you're not," Johnny said as calmly as he could, pulling Gino close to him. His own tears broke loose of their hold and streamed down his cheeks, a small breakdown of emotions between father and son. "I chose to leave the city because I....."

He stopped, his words fading on the tip of his tongue. If he had told Gino he left because of him, because he wasn't about to let the sisters attempt to turn his son against him, Johnny would have contradicted himself. He had left the city because of Gino, but it was not the boy's fault that he had to leave, far from it. There had to be an admittance of blame on someone and that someone was the man that pushed the boy away and held him at arms length. He wasn't going to pt the blame on anyone but himself this time around, more determined to change for his son then any time before.

"Gino, listen to me carefully and listen to me well. You are not at fault here and you never will be. It's true that I have to leave Durem and never return, but it is the only way I can be sure that you are safe. I can't trust anyone else to care for you. You have no reason to believe you are in the wrong here. Understand?" Johnny smiled half-heartedly through the tears, hoping that it would console Gino to a point that he smiled back. The boy didn't seem too comforted by the smile, but by the fact that the words that had been spoken were true. He nodded that he at least understood those simple words, wiping away the tears from his cheek. Johnny stood up, patting his son on the shoulder and turning towards the entrance of Durem as he took Gino's hand in his.

A new day had started and it held a new beginning for both.

**End Part Two**


End file.
